Madam, - I know politicians have an intrinsic need to "spin" reality in a light most favourable to their arguments - but can we not expect a better debate on the EU this time around?
Ms Mary Lou McDonald MEP writes (Opinion & Analysis, December 13th) that "the [Lisbon] treaty requires member-states" progressively to improve their military capacity. This is not true. The treaty "requires" nothing. It states only that "Member States shall undertake" to do so. Member-states cannot be required to do anything in this regard except by decision of their own governments.
Moreover, they have given this undertaking so that they can carry out "missions outside the Union for peace-keeping, conflict prevention and strengthening international security in accordance with the principles of the United Nations Charter".
The larger parties in this debate are similarly culpable. We have seen repeated instances over the years of government parties claiming the European Union had tied their hands or forced a course of action upon them. I urge readers always to question such claims carefully. It is often politically expedient for parties and politicians to disown unpopular actions by blaming the EU.
In all such circumstances, governments have either agreed to be so restricted or else - as in the case of charging schools for metered water - prefer for their own reasons not to exercise available discretion within often flexible EU legislation.
The consequence of such behaviour, however, is to create precisely the impression that Ms McDonald is now anxious to highlight for her own ends: that the Union as a foreign actor forcing its will upon the innocent member-states.
This is not an image that has any reflection in political
reality - but it is a powerful one. - Yours, etc,
BEN TONRA,
Jean Monnet Professor of European Foreign and Security
Policy,
UCD,
Dublin 4.