UNANIMITY IN EUROPEAN POLITICS

That this House disapproves of the views of a wide range of senior European politicians that the rejection of the Lisbon Treaty by the people of the Republic of Ireland should not prevent it coming into force; in particular notes the remarks of Wolfgang Schaeuble, German Interior Minister, that `a few million Irish cannot decide on behalf of 495 million Europeans', of Daniel Cohn-Bendit, Euro-Green leader, that `it is not truly democratic that less than a million people should decide the fate of half a billion Europeans', of Axel Schafer, SPD Bundestag leader, that `with all respect for the Irish vote, we cannot allow the huge majority of Europe to be duped by the minority of a minority of a minority', of Yves Leterme, Belgian Prime Minister, `we need to examine the existing possibilities to ensure in any case the entry into force of the treaty and to associate Ireland with it', of Donald Tusk, the Polish Prime Minister, that `irrespective of the results of the referendum in Ireland ... Europe will find a way of implementing this treaty', of Lopez Garrido, Spanish Secretary of State for the EU, that the Lisbon Treaty `will be applied, albeit a few months late' and of Jose Barroso, Portuguese President of the European Commission, that `the treaty is not dead, the treaty is alive and we will try to work to find a solution'; and regards these statements as confirming the arrogance of Europe's political elite.