Title: Lisbon Treaty: YES or NO
Author: Günter Madun
Last saved by: Stephan Bruckmeier

Lisbon Treaty: YES or NO? 
Read and decide.

1. Using UNFAIR means to get a YES. To avoid referenda in more European member states EU leaders made out of the Constitution the Reform Treaty. But Valery Giscard d’Estaing said the changes are  “more cosmetic than real”. The so called Amato Group got the order to make the Lisbon Treaty  “unreadable!!! 
Above all YES means an enormous militarist enforcement. And is the final stop to any form of neutrality and non-alignment. You ask yourself: “What are they trying to hide by all that?” Find some answers below.   
2. More Centralization instead of more Democracy. The major element of each democracy, the separation of constitution and execution, is still missed. The Parliament can co-decide on more issues than before, but it can decide nothing without the agreement of the Council. Concerning so important issues as defense, security and foreign relation it has no influence at all. It may not propose any new law. This is still monopolized by the non-democratic commission. And arguing with the doctrine of reckless competition, privatisment and deregulated markets the commission can overrule all decisions - on EU and national level. More laws than ever could get legal force on EU level - even if they are refused by up to 12! memberstates. And trade treaties with other countries must not be ratified anymore by national parliaments. What’s new: The national parliaments can claim competency easier than before, but of course it would be very difficult to get acquiesence. The new European Citizen Demand would be no real help against that all because it’s much to complex and it depends on the commission if it is considered or not. 
3. Enforcement of Military Capabilities instead of Political Peacekeeping. Neutrality is protected against decisions of the EU but not against the decisions of national politicians, who are forced by the Treaty (“Member States shall undertake progressively to improve their military capabilities.”) and by an European Defence Agency which is obliged to “implement any measure needed to strengthen the industrial and technological base of the defence sector“. The fight against terrorism allows preventive military activies. This allows to frighten critical citizens and opens the doors for warfetishism.
4. Fertilizer based Agricultural Industry instead of biologic Private Farming. The main goal of the European Agriculture Policy is to increase agricultural productivity by . the maximal utilisation of the factors of production. That means to enforce fertilizers, plant protectives, genetical manipulation and to replace work by machines in huges farms. Instead of following a natural biological way with small farms, creating food sovereignty and security. 
5. EURATOM extension instead of promoting Renewable Energy. The EURATOM Treaty will become part of the Lisbon Treaty. That means: No chance of an European atom escape, because all member states had to agree. No chance to avoid rising contributions for the enlargement of the European Atomic Energy sector. 
6. Private Profit Maximization instead of Public Services Quality. The treaty emphasizes the importance of public services like education, health care, traffic, water and energy supply for the national states and  enforces at the same time privatisement by the competition doctrine. This lowers quality and raises prices for  average citizens and creates more and more poverty and inqualities. To hand over the hard earned money of workers to the enormous risks of financial markets by promoting pensionfunds is an irresponsible criminal act.

                                                                                             Analysis by KPÖ, Member of EuropeanLEFT