THE LISBON Treaty represents a "bad deal for Ireland, for the EU, and for the developing world", Sinn Féin president Gerry Adams said yesterday.
Addressing a sitting of the National Forum on Europe at the Royal Hospital Kilmainham, Mr Adams said the treaty would "deepen the existing democratic deficit" within the EU through the increased centralisation of powers, the loss of influence of smaller member states and the "weak measures" offered to national parliaments and citizens.
The Government's suggestion that the treaty involves the greatest transfer of power to member states is "complete and utter nonsense," he said.
Referring to changes in voting procedures and the loss of a permanent commissioner if the treaty is ratified, Mr Adams said such provisions mean the State will have "less influence in the design of future proposals, less weight in key decisions and a reduced capacity to block decisions that are not in Ireland's interests."
Claiming that Article 48 of the treaty "maps out another new way" around the Irish veto, Mr Adams, whose party is the only one campaigning against it, said he was "baffled" as to how any party could campaign to remove the right to a veto on EU decisions.
Arguing that the treaty would "further undermine" neutrality, Mr Adams said the text makes clear that the EU will have common foreign and defence policies and that such a policies "must be compatible" with Nato.
While acknowledging that the precise detail of such policies is left to a future date and the Government retains its veto, Mr Adams said "the end goal is clearly defined" and Ireland would be "drawn even further into the emerging EU military capacity."
He also claimed the treaty would make it easier to usher in tax harmonisation. He argued that it would facilitate further privatisation and lead to the undermining of workers' rights and greater levels of inequality. The treaty is part of a trend that seeks to sacrifice "a progressive social agenda in favour of a narrowly-defined focus on competitiveness," he said.
Acknowledging that co-operation with EU partners is essential to meet future challenges, Mr Adams rejected as "scaremongering and blackmail" claims that a No vote would disadvantage Ireland economically and politically.