Allister chides Ahern
01 December 2006
On Tuesday Irish Prime Minister, Bertie Ahern, spoke to the European Parliament on the future of Europe. Speaking during the debate, the DUP MEP Jim Allister chided him that last time he spoke to the Parliament in 2004, he boasted that by November 2006 the EU Constitution would be fully operational. How wrong he had been! In the course of his remarks, Mr Allister said:-
"Mr President, to what do we owe this visit of the Irish Prime Minister? Could it be connected to the upcoming Irish election to allow Mr Ahern to parade as a Statesman on the European scene? One wonders!
Last time Mr Ahern was here, at the end of his country's Presidency of the Council, he was celebrating having overseen agreement between the Heads of Government on the EU Constitution. He readily basked in the adulation of the Europhile fanatics in this House. By now, November 2006, he and they assured us the Constitution would be in full operation. But, as often, they reckoned without the most important component of democratic politics, the views of the people.
As the Constitution floundered on the rocks of rejection in France and Holland, Mr Ahern - though an avowed Euro-enthusiast - and my Government in the UK lost their nerve, hurriedly abandoned the prospect of the people of the British Isles giving their verdict by postponing the promised referenda. Now, he returns to again tell us of the marvels of European integration and that the rejected Constitution must be revived. It is a stale message about a moribund Constitution from one who may well soon be judged by the Irish electorate as a stale politician."
Note: You can listen to the speech here: http://www.jimallister.org/uploads/Allister_chides_Ahern_191.zip
