NationalPlatform.Org

The Phoenix
March 13, 2009
Affairs of the Nation, p.11

“The Czech Prime Minister, Mirek Topolanek, was dealt with in no uncertain terms by Labour’s Europhile Dublin MEP Proinsias De Rossa recently after the Czech leader, whose country assumed presidency of the EU in January, addressed the European Parliament.

“Topolanke explained that he would not be to upset if the Lisbon Treaty was rejected, although he would vote for it and that the EU could function without Lisbon under existing Nice Treaty arrangements. He also warned, with reference to Ireland, that ‘telling member states in advance that they have to ratify the treaty and that they do not have the right to decide whether to approve it or no, is absurd’.

“This seems an eminently reasonable attitude to adopt by a lukewarm supporter of Lisbon but De Rossa was having none of it and he tore into the Czech premier with abandon saying he was ‘appalled by your comment here this morning that Lisbon is worse than Nice … That is not only untrue, it is divisive and it is a breach of trust. You have to seriously consider withdrawing your remarks.’

“Eurosceptic British Tory MEP Daniel Hannan picked up on De Rossa’s remarks and derided the Labour MEP on his blog, hosted on the Telegraph website, pointing out that certain pro-Lisbon politicians could not even stomach allies who were not sufficiently ardent in their support for the treaty. Hannan also pointed out that De Rossa was dismissing his own electorate in Ireland who had rejected his pro-Lisbon position. Worse, Hannan posted a video of De Rossa’s speech on his blog, christening it: ‘De Rossa’s attack on Democracy.’

“A livid De Rossa then wrote to Hannan demanding that he retitle his video, a demand the Tory MEP graciously acceded to, telling his colleague, ‘You’ve always struck me as a decent fellow’, while nevertheless repeating to De Rossa that he had a ‘contemptuous attitude’ towards his own electorate.”