Mário Soares argues for changes to the Treaty of Lisbon

Portugal's former president Mário Soares welcomes the Irish Yes to the Treaty of Lisbon but calls for changes on economic and financial policy: "The European Union finally has the chance to get out of the political and institutional impasse it finds itself in. Ireland has accepted the Treaty of Lisbon. ... I'm no big fan of the Treaty because it makes enormous concessions to the neoliberalism that took us down the path to casino capitalism and the current crisis. For that reason the economic and financial part of the Treaty of Lisbon must be changed as quickly as possible to make the adjustments necessary to overcome the crisis. ... Nevertheless the Treaty does represent a step forward as far as politics and peace in Europe are concerned. It may not usher in the political and social Europe of which 'Europe's fathers' dreamed, and it may not establish the United States of Europe so longed for by European federalists and of which Jean Monnet spoke. But it does represent a step forward in the Union's political institutionalisation. ... Yes, Brussels made concessions to Ireland to prevent a No vote. ... That means: in the Union all members are equal, but some are more equal than others. ... Let's hope the Czechs and the Poles, who have yet to sign the treaty, are not also going to demand concessions."

» full article (external link, Portuguese)
More from the press review on the subject » EU Policy, » EU Constitution, » Ireland, » Europe
All available articles from » Mário Soares

» To the complete press review of Tuesday, October 6, 2009