Ratification of the Constitutional Treaty
15 September 2004
Today, Jim Allister made the following speech in the European Parliament
Allister (NI). – I too am a dissenting member of the Committee on Constitutional Affairs on the Constitution. I oppose the Constitution because I dare still to cling to a belief in maximising meaningful national sovereignty.
Could I, in that context, ask the Council and the Commission to agree that the first priority in any referendum should be that it should be seen to be both free and fair? In this regard, is it not imperative to guarantee two things: first, to guarantee that the case against the Constitution is not suppressed in a welter of one-sided propaganda emanating from the European institutions and, secondly, that the democratic referendum process is not distorted by unbalanced funding from external sources?
Therefore, could the Council and the Commission agree that they would resolutely resist the temptation of bankrolling a pro-Constitution propaganda offensive across Europe? These are national referendums and they should be allowed to be so.
Click to view this and other speeches made by Jim Allister in the European Parliament
