Tuesday, February 17, 2009

Ganley on the European Union

Here are some comments from Declan Ganley on the European Union.

On the European Union

"I believe in the European project. I believe in the absolute necessity of its success". Ganley address to Heritage Foundation

"We believe that the European Union has limitless potential. We believe that by working together, Europeans can translate shared values into an ambitious vision that lights up the next century of human history". Libertas website

"Libertas is passionately pro-European. We believe that the European Union is one of the most worthwhile, and laudable political projects in history, and we are proud to be able to make some contribution to its future success". Libertas website

On Euroscepticism

"Old fashioned Euroscepticism is dead". Ganley address to Heritage Foundation

"Old fashioned Euroscepticism is dead. The Lisbon Treaty is dead. Let's put them in the same graves". Ganley address to Heritage Foundation

"Libertas is not nor will ever be Eurosceptic". Libertas website

On Peace in Europe

"Even the greatest Eurosceptic would have to recognise that the European project has, at minimum, been the most successful peace process in the history of the world". Ganley address to Heritage Foundation

On the Brussels Elite

"Let me remind them. We are the Europeans. Europe is almost half a billion citizens. It's not a cabal of an unaccountable elite, sitting in Brussels, to make laws over us, without having ever to present themselves to a ballot box. Europe belongs to its citizens" Ganley address to Heritage Foundation

"The Lisbon Treaty was going to create the position of president of Europe...it was going to create a foreign and security minister...how were they going to speak to the premier of China about the merits of democracy when the first question they asked would be 'Well, how many votes did you get?'" Ganley address to Heritage Foundation (NOTE This is a hypothetical scenario identical to one suggested by Jens Peter Bonde at his retirement party in 2008)

"Parliaments, and the powers of parliaments, and the democratic legitimacy of parliaments is being eviscerated by a Brussels that is not democratically accountable" Ganley address to Heritage Foundation

On the need for a European Constitution and how it should be made

"If we are to have a constitution in Europe its something that the average 15 year old should be able to read and understand...and it is most certainly something that every European citizen...must have the opportunity state by state to accept or reject at the ballot box" Ganley address to Heritage Foundation

"...and if they reject it lets be honest, lets tell them where this European project is going, and if they reject it, we have to go back to the drawing board, and we have to try again. And if they reject it the next time we have to do the same thing again. Until we get it right" Ganley address to Heritage Foundation

On the Nice Treaty

"I voted 'Yes' both times in both referenda on the Nice Treaty" Ganley address to Heritage Foundation

"Lets be honest...I didn't read the Nice Treaty. I don't think many people did. So if I'd read it, I might have taken a different position, although I doubt it"
In response to a journalist's question about why Ganley said he had supported the Nice Treaty

Quotes to be found here, and here.

Hat Tip, MIck McManus

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

Sounds like the Tories.

Gawain Towler said...

He is talking to UKIp in half an hour, might habve something to report after that

AuntyEUnice said...

God help his tiny mind if he or any of the Eurosceptics think they can make the EU juggernaut change course now. It was born without the benifit of democracy and will die because of the deficiency of it, it's genetic. Good luck to him anyway.

Twitter