A policy weakening more and more the social Europe and preferring to invest more and more money on armaments and military interventions outside Europe is not in the interest of the European people.

The No from Dublin and the real lesson from the aborted EU reform process indicate that the European integration can be successful only if it meets the needs of the majority of the people. There cannot be a European Union against the will of the majority of the people. Governments should better observe the principle of people's sovereignty in the EU, too.

All the power comes from the people. This principle is violated by quite a lot of EU governments. Unlike the German grand coalition the Irish government had the courage to ask about their own people's opinion.

No need for a new "period of reflection" only aiming at removing the result  of the only referendum through some juridical tricks. Instead, they should think about how to include the citizens' demand for a change in EU policies in favour of a social, civil and democratic Europe.
 
The ones who say no to a wrong EU basic orientation are not "anti-European". Anti European are rather those, who ignore them and keep on pursuing the same wrong policies.

The Left and the European Left are encouraged by the vote in Ireland to  go on fighting for a necessary change in EU policies.

Lothar Bisky
President of the European Left