mr president i spent most of my early political years fighting against dangerous individuals like mr cohn-bendit
i really was quite alarmed a moment ago that i was actually agreeing with one or two bits of his speech and i was only saved by the fact that in his final remarks i was able to be totally opposed to him again
i want to be quite consistent about my position speaking as leader of the british conservatives in the european parliament
for those of us who support the principle of the nation states coming together to cooperate freely in europe the progress of the lisbon treaty perhaps should not be such a cause for celebration today
the tragedy of our union is that through too many people's eyes it has become an elitist project pushing its ideology onto an increasingly sceptical public according to eurostat information
you lose one referendum so you call another to get the result you want
if the term constitution proves unpopular and unacceptable it is given a fresh wrapping so that past rejections can be ignored
if the promised referendum looks unwinnable it is cancelled without apparent shame or embarrassment
in the uk all political parties including a government in office pledged the british people that they would be consulted on the future of europe
the socialists and the liberals reneged on their promise
such political tricks may secure short-term advantages but we should regret the fact that the peoples of europe have hardly had their faith in their politicians enhanced by such cynical manoeuvres
we in the ecr want a europe built on the secure foundations of popular support and the democratic legitimacy offered by the institutions of its nation states
but the lisbon treaty is in our view still a step in the wrong direction
by opening the door to a supranational foreign and security policy by giving more power to european institutions and abolishing national vetoes in policy areas crucial to our states the treaty takes a dramatic step towards the superstate feared by many
the peoples of europe do not want a union of ever closer centralisation a union that increases its powers at the expense of its member states a union which is remote from their daily concerns
however they do want a europe of diversity a europe where the different cultures and ways of life combine where added value can be achieved
they want a reformed union a more accountable transparent democratic union which delivers value for money in those areas in which it has delegated responsibility a europe closer and more relevant to the people
the lisbon treaty has therefore been a missed opportunity
i served in the convention following the laeken declaration which i much supported a convention which drafted the original constitutional text
i know the details well the good points as well as the bad
the uk conservatives have been consistent
we believe that the treaty as it has turned out will not take things forward in the interests of the people
and we in the ecr will continue to fight for our vision of the european union a vision in tune with the hopes and aspirations of the peoples of europe
we will continue to argue for a european union fit for the purposes of the future not the past and for a european union which rests securely on the support of its peoples and not only the priorities of any elite
we should all reflect on that
