63% of Irish Greens vote in favour of EU Reform Treaty: Irish Green Ministers and MPs will campaign for "Yes" vote in referendum
The Spokespersons of the European Green Party today welcomed the news that a 63% majority of Irish Green Party Members have voted in favour of supporting the EU Reform Treaty (also known as the Lisbon Treaty) in the forthcoming referendum on the issue.
EGP Co-Spokesperson Ulrike Lunacek said: "We are delighted that such a large majority of those Irish Greens who participated in today's special conference in Dublin voted in favour of supporting a "Yes" vote in the referendum likely to be held in May of this year. Although the motion in favour of the Lisbon treaty failed to gain the two thirds majority necessary for that position to be adopted as party policy, the fact that such a substantial majority of Irish Greens voted in favour is a very positive development."
EGP Co-Spokesperson Philippe Lamberts continued: "We European Greens, like the Irish Greens, have some reservations about the Lisbon treaty but we argue very strongly that the Lisbon treaty should be ratified as quickly as possible as it contains a number of key reforms and enhances democratic participation at EU level .We are very pleased that Irish Green Ministers and MPs have received a mandate to campaign in favour of the Lisbon treaty and we will support them in that campaign. We would like to emphasise that we, like the leadership of the Irish Greens, respect the views of those Greens who argued and voted against the treaty and we will work closely with our Irish Green colleagues to address their worries and concerns."
