By Martin Banks - 12th January 2009
We cannot concede an inch to the nationalists and euro-sceptics who will try to surf on the financial and economic tsunami
Pat Cox
Pat Cox, a former president of the European parliament, has pledged “not to give an inch” to Eurosceptics in the run-up to June’s European elections.
His get-tough message was aimed primarily at fellow Irishman Declan Ganley, the businessman who played a major role in his country's rejection of the EU’s Lisbon treaty in a referendum last year.
On Saturday, Ganley said he hopes to set up a branch of his Libertas party in Poland.
"We want to open our association and our foundation here and then create a subsidiary of our party" Ganley told Polish television.
The millionaire businessman had been in Poland since Friday for talks with small parties ahead of the 7 June elections.
"We plan to put forward Polish candidates of our party in next year's European elections," he said.
Ganley, however, appeared to have suffered a setback in his hopes to run a similar campaign in the Czech Republic.
A new political party dedicated to campaigning against the treaty in the Czech Republic will be launched today, but its founder Petr Mach has ruled out adopting the Libertas brand.
"I tried to explain to him [Ganley] that setting up parties is a different thing than setting up businesses. If he has a business he can set up subsidiaries and he would then be the main shareholder of it. It is different with political parties," said Mach, who held talks with Ganley on whether to join forces and form a Czech Libertas.
Addressing a European Movement event, Cox, the organisation’s president, issued a blunt message to Ganley's ambitions of fielding candidates in each member state in the elections.
He declared, “We cannot concede an inch to the nationalists and euro-sceptics who will try to surf on the financial and economic tsunami.”
Cox, a former high-profile ALDE MEP, said the financial meltdown will be a “perfect opportunity for nationalists and Eurosceptics.”
Cox said Libertas wanted to “massively invest” in the electoral campaign, to the tune of €75m, according to media reports.
He, therefore, sees the upcoming elections as a “real pan-European referendum in favour or against the EU”.
“The challenge needs to be taken up,” said Cox, who asked supporters to mobilise themselves “to prove to citizens that the current [financial] situation would be worse without Europe.”
Cox, a former TV presenter in Ireland, also urged EU institutions and political parties to “bring more Europe” to the elections, meaning they should focus on how the EU can benefit ordinary citizens.
Meanwhile, a new poll suggests that a majority of Irish voters may back the treaty in a second referendum set to be held this year.
The Irish Sunday Independent/Quantum Research survey carried out last Friday showed that 55 per cent of the 500 people asked would support the treaty, while 37 per cent said they would oppose it and 15 per cent said they were undecided.
In June Irish voters rejected the treaty with 53.4 percent voting against it, thereby freezing the process of putting it into effect this year as planned.
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