mr president i have no doubts whatsoever that europe needs a permanent stability mechanism
i have fought many political battles and referendums over democratically legitimate community decision making
i therefore have deep reservations about the treaty mechanism being proposed by the heads of state to establish and manage the esm
i urge the heads of state to reflect very deeply on the consequences for europe if they reject the broad consensus of this directly elected parliament
yes we need a speedy decision but for such a fundamental issue we must comply with the treaties
the elephant in the room is a concern that a change in the wording or switching to the ordinary procedure might trigger a referendum in ireland
my reaction as a democrat is quite simple so what
i respect the people
i do not fear the people
i believe that ireland is a mature democracy capable of recognising where our best interest lies and that is at the heart of europe
