6-13-08, 1:09 pm

PRESS RELEASE Victory for the No COMMUNIST PARTY OF IRELAND James Connolly House, 43 East Essex Street, Temple Bar, Dublin 2. 12th June 08

The Communist Party of Ireland welcomed the victory for the no campaign in the Irish referendum. Despite the all the resources and political bullying and blackmail from both the the Irish and the EU establishments and a hostile mass media they overcame all of them and secured a victory for national democracy not just for Ireland but for all the peoples of EU.

Working people, fishing communities and small farmers came out to deliver a killing blow to the plans of the political masters in Brussels. This was a vote against the centralization of power and the race to the bottom in workers wages and conditions.

Even before the Irish vote was declared José Manuel Barroso, President of the EU Commission was demanding that governments across the EU push ahead with the ratification process. This is just another example of the total disregard that the political elites have for democracy and the will of the people.

The Party stated that the Treaty of Lisbon is dead and it was time for a new departure for the people of Europe.

We would like to congratulate the People's Movement and communist activists for their sterling work over the last number of months. This is a great blow to European imperialism.

Eugene McCartan General Secretary, CP of Ireland