The victory of the NO in Ireland is a chance for Europe. It must be seized.

The treaty of Lisbon cannot, and will not, be implemented. It was to be ratified by 27 countries and the Irish people decided that their country would not do it. The will of the leaders of the European Union, affirmed by the Council of June 19th, to continue the ratification process, by pressuring Ireland until it changes opinion, does not make any sense. There is no outcome, neither legal nor political, for this treaty.

The question posed today thus consists of an alternative: either stagnation in the crisis or a new departure for Europe, starting with the opinion expressed by its people.

We need to draw conclusions owing to the fact that in past years, as soon as the possibility was offered to the European people to express themselves concerning the destiny of Europe, they refused to ratify the policies and design of the European Union in the way they are currently proposed.

The Irish people are not isolated. On the contrary, they became the interpreters for the other European people whose governments refused them the right to decide through a referendum. Their vote confirmed and prolonged the French and Dutch "No" of 2005 by rejecting once again precarious policies, pressures on wages and social rights, attacks against public services, and alliance with NATO. It is indeed a call to real changes in Europe. As the statement of the opponents to the treaty affirmed: “Say NO to this treaty for a better treaty”. It is this debate that needs to be raised from now on.

The French Presidency will start on July 1st. The European Left proposes that, instead of continuing to go with the arrogant and blind way of the leaders of the European Union, it is time for the decisions be made at the height of the reality, which has just been created: to stop from now on the ratification process of a null and void treaty and to open at large the construction of a new treaty for the European Union.

So that it finally corresponds to the aspirations and needs of the people, this new treaty must rest on other bases besides the neoliberal and militaristic ones that were at the heart of the rejections of the past treaties. It must be elaborated in a completely new way for the European Union, through a democratic and popular process, ratified by a referendum in each and every country. The next elections for the European Parliament must also be a moment of clarification concerning the different positions on the future of Europe. A new text will have to be ratified through a referendum in every country. For this purpose we propose, without hesitation, initiatives to be taken in order to undertake the work on this treaty. It should be elaborated in association between the European Parliament and the national Parliaments, starting with consulting the citizens in order to make their requirements known.

Immediate and profound changes in the social, economic, monetary, environmental, and defence policies are essential. In opposition to this necessity, Nicolas Sarkozy affirms his willingness to keep the course of the “four priorities” which he himself had fixed when imagining that the adoption of “his” Lisbon treaty would be but a formality. The continuation of an energy and transport public services’ dumping in place of a coherent energy and climatic policy, the "directive of shame" as an immigration policy, alignment on NATO as a defence policy, orientations compatible with the WTO as an agricultural policy, all of these decisions are going against the requirements for a social, democratic, ecological, and feminist Europe, as a factor of peace and solidarity in the world. A Europe with peace and solidarity is needed more than ever as an exit to the current crisis.

Together with all these forces, and all those that wish it, let us work towards this new direction for Europe.