Allister takes message against Constitution to Praque
03 October 2005
DUP MEP JIM ALLISTER is set later this week to take the case against the EU Constitution to the Czech Parliament. Mr Allister will visit Prague, as part of a delegation from the Constitutional Affairs Committee of the European Parliament, for a series of meetings with Czech MPs, in both the Upper and Lower Houses of Parliament. The DUP MEP, as the only member of the delegation opposed to the Constitution, will articulate a very different view from the majority of the delegation, but to a potentially receptive audience, as there is a high level of euro-scepticism among Czech MPs.
Speaking in advance of the visit Mr Allister said:-
"The political situation in Prague is very interesting. Whereas the present Government favours the Constitution, the Czech President, Mr Klaus, is one of its most vigorous opponents. Moreover, with a General Election due next year it is encouraging that the Euro-sceptic Conservatives, the ODS, have a commanding lead in the polls. I am therefore hopeful that if the Czech people are ever given the chance to vote on the Constitution, they will follow France and Holland in rejecting it. That, of course, is why for the present the possibility of a referendum in The Czech Republic has been postponed.
I am looking forward to debating the Constitution and the future of Europe with Czech politicians and to setting out the case against the Constitution, which for me centres on opposing further handing over of national powers to Brussels. The Constitution is a Charter for Brussels centralisation, in which the Member States and their peoples will be the loser.
I'm not going to Prague to tell the Czech people what to think - I leave that to the arrogant europhiles who wrongly think they know best what nation states need and should think - rather, I'll explain why the majority of people in the UK, if given the chance, would reject the Constitution.
I greatly welcome the thoughtful contribution of President Klaus to the debate on the future of Europe and support the idea of an organisation of European States based purely on mutual economic interest, without the compulsion or agenda of political unity."
