Richard Boyd Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, People Before Profit Alliance) | Oireachtas source

I will also be opposing this Bill, because it worsens what is already a crisis of legitimacy for the European Union. For a long time, there has been a growing disconnect between ordinary citizens in Europe, whether in this country or elsewhere, and the institutions of the European Union. It is what people call the democratic deficit. This Bill further widens and deepens that democratic deficit. It further exposes something those of us who opposed the various European treaties in recent years have long argued. Those like Fine Gael, Fianna Fáil and the Labour Party which supported the various treaties - Lisbon, Nice, Maastricht - have all argued that what they and the European Union are trying to create is a democratic union, a union of solidarity, and the sort of union that is key to preventing the horrors that we witnessed in the 1930s and 1940s, with the Second World War. All the evidence is that it is the exact opposite. The sort of European Union that is developing is a recipe to repeat the horrors of the 1930s and the 1940s. When we look at the frightening growth of the far right, openly neo-Nazi parties around Europe, parading the streets and engaging in vicious racial violence and articulating the sort of obnoxious views that were articulated by the Nazis and the fascists of the 1930s and 1940s, which led to such disaster for the world, we would have to start to question seriously what is going on in the European Union. How has alienation with the European Union grown to such a point that it has become a major contributory factor in fuelling the obnoxious ideas of the far right and neo-fascist organisations across Europe? That is exactly what is happening.

It is terrifying. I have spoken to people in Greece about Golden Dawn, which is an openly fascist organisation. Its support is growing as a direct result of what the European Union has done to Greece. There is a feeling that ordinary citizens are absolutely ignored, dismissed and are simply fodder to be trampled upon by the troika. Even the name "troika" is suggestive of the undemocratic direction of the European Union. I think it is a Russian word which one would associate with autocratic, centralised regimes. The pretence and decoration of democracy that the European Parliament represents belies the actuality of the European Union, which is diktat from the European Central Bank and the European Commission and their pals in the IMF. It makes a mockery of democracy.

Some of us met with a delegation from the European Parliament last week. They came over here to examine the aftermath of the troika programme. Even they pointed out to us that it was ridiculous that they were only now getting a chance to look at the impact of the troika programme after it was all over, essentially asking us was it bad, did we have any input and if there was any real consultation with the citizens of this country over the so-called bailout. We all had to admit the truth, which was that there is no consultation. The citizens had no say whatsoever. It was imposed and inflicted on them by the ECB, the EU Commission and the IMF. It was a centralised diktat by institutions that are dancing to one tune and one tune only, and it certainly is not the democratic tune, the tune of ordinary citizens or voters in Europe. They were dancing to the tune of the financial markets, of the banks, of the financial elites and the European Central Bank which represent those interests. It really makes a mockery of democracy and against that background, to dilute further the influence of the citizens of this State and of other states across Europe just makes a bad situation worse. It is questionable, frankly, whether these elections mean anything against a background where we have the dictatorship of the troika. As much as the Government may trumpet the so-called exit from the programme, we all know that it is meaningless because the terms of the fiscal treaty mean that the ECB and the EU Commission will still dictate to countries across Europe, regardless of what citizens vote for or want.

Against that general background, it is wrong to further dilute the influence of ordinary citizens not only in this country, but throughout the European Union. I am not a little Irelander or parochial politician and I suspect most citizens of this country share my passionate belief in internationalism, international co-operation and solidarity with other citizens of Europe. That is not what this legislation is about, however. This Bill is an example of large states manoeuvring to concentrate their power and influence over the European Union. It is being done against a more general background of a dictatorship of unelected EU bodies, one which was considerably strengthened by the mandate given to the European Central Bank. The ECB's complete independence from any control by elected representatives makes it a thorough financial dictatorship. This is not an empty phrase but the precise position in respect of the European Central Bank.

The consequences of these developments have been disastrous and the political price being paid is a terrifying rise of the far right across Europe. It is not an exaggeration to describe the situation unfolding in Europe as a repeat of the 1930s, albeit in slow motion. The same movie is playing but at a slower pace. We have an economic crisis, a political centre that has become completely discredited, dangerous forces of the far right beginning to emerge on the margins and widespread disaffection and disillusionment with political institutions among ordinary citizens. This measure makes the position worse.

I oppose the Bill for the reasons I have outlined. While I suspect it is a forlorn hope, I ask the Government to consider the dangerous implications of what is taking place in Europe. Ordinary citizens have lost trust in the political institutions of the European Union. They were already sceptical about the European project, as it was constituted. The Minister should not misunderstand me in that respect. People draw a sharp distinction between the ideals of European solidarity and co-operation and the reality, which is nothing more than political manoeuvring by large powers and big multinational corporations and corporate interests that have essentially captured and taken hostage the institutions of the European Union to further their own interests at the expense of democracy and the economic and social interests of ordinary citizens, both in this country and elsewhere. I will oppose the Bill.

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