FP� to file complaint against the EU Lisbon Treaty

By Lisa Chapman

The right-wing Austrian Freedom Party (FP�) is planning to file a complaint against the new EU Lisbon Treaty as soon as it comes into force on 1 December.

Czech President Vaclav Klaus signed the Czech instrument of ratification yesterday (Tues) afternoon after the Czech Constitutional Court had dismissed complaints against the treaty. The Czech Republic had been the last hold-out in ratification of the treaty.

FP� MEP Andreas M�lzer said: "The FP� will file a complaint against the Lisbon Treaty at the Austrian Constitutional Court. There may be an unpleasant surprise in store for EU centralists.

"The enactment of the treaty means that all EU member states, including Austria, will have lost the rest of their sovereignty. They will be degraded to the status of provinces of Brussels. The fight for a different and better Europe, for a Europe of free states and peoples, will continue," he pledged.

FP� leader Heinz-Christian Strache also weighed in, arguing that the Lisbon Treaty served the interests only of centralism and economic liberalism. "On the day that the treaty comes into force, the FP� will file a complaint against it," he confirmed.

In comparison, many Austrian officials welcomed ratification of the treaty. Chamber of Commerce (WKO) President Christoph Leitl said: "Klaus has opened the way to a democratic and stronger Europe, and that is good. Europe faces tremendous challenges.

"The theoretical basis for a more capable European Union is in place. The new opportunities at the EU level must be taken advantage of and turned into concrete policies," he added.

Social Democratic (SP�) MEP Hannes Swoboda, vice president of the European Parliament�s (EP) social democratic faction, said: "Klaus has finally realised he cannot hold the European Union hostage to his individual, anti-European ideology."

Swoboda called on EU heads of state and government to act quickly to fill the new positions of EU Council president and high representative for foreign and security policy. He stressed that the high representative needed to be a strong character who could represent Europe in the best possible way to the rest of the world.

Other Austrian MEPs were also pleased by the Czech court�s ruling yesterday.

MEP Ernst Strasser, the head of the People�s Party (�VP) faction in the EP, said: "The court�s strong 'yes' finally opens the way to a new Europe and a strong EP."

�VP MEP Othmar Karas called on national parliaments to make use of the new abilities the treaty would give them.

SP� MEP Evelyn Regner said: "It is a good day for Europe and another big step towards the overdue ratification of the Lisbon Treaty."

Austrian Trade Union Federation (�GB) President Erich Foglar said: "The treaty is a step in the right direction but is a long way away from what we as trade unionists want a social Europe to be."

He said trade unions should become more involved in EU decision-making, because "we want, for example, basic social rights to take precedence over economic freedom."

Austrian Times

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