Libertas candidate calls for block on immigrants

LIBERTAS CANDIDATE for Ireland East Raymond O’Malley has called for Ireland to close its borders to workers from fellow EU states.

Speaking on Today FM’s Last Word show with Matt Cooper, Mr O’Malley said: “I think a lot of people are very concerned too about the problem of immigration.

“While we’ve massive unemployment in this country, over the last five years we’ve had 500,000 people come in to this country and there has been a funnel effect.

When asked whether it was now Libertas policy to prevent any more workers from the 10 accession states from entering, Mr O’Malley answered: “Well I think as long as we have this rate of unemployment, yes.”

http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/ireland/2009/0515/1224246568315.html

Libertas launches as a political party in the UK

The anti-Lisbon Treaty group Libertas has launched itself as a political party in the UK.

The party has said it will run candidates there in the European Parliament elections on June 4, as well as elsewhere in the EU.

http://www.breakingnews.ie/ireland/eyaucwkfgbgb/

Europe puts off Libertas decision

THE European Parliament last night postponed officially recognising the Libertas party after receiving a letter from the founder Declan Ganley.

Two weeks ago the parliament shelved a decision to recognise Libertas and grant it funding of more than e200,000 when two of the seven signatories said they never intended to support them.

Millionaire businessman Mr Ganley has now offered more names to the parliament president Hans Gert Pottering.

Mr Pottering has asked the parliament’s legal experts to investigate whether they can be accepted given that the deadline has passed.

http://www.irishexaminer.com/ireland/ideyidauoj/

European Parliament puts Libertas funding on hold

An application from Libertas for funding as a political party at the European level has been put on hold.

The European Parliament is authorised to grant funding to parties which satisfy rigorous requirements to show their European qualifications.

An Estonian MP listed as backing Libertas's application now insists that he had not signed any document.

http://www.rte.ie/news/2009/0203/libertas.html

"Govt betraying Irish people"

Libertas president Declan Ganley is accusing the Irish Government of betraying the Irish people by planning to hold a second referendum on the Lisbon Treaty.

Under a plan being discussed by EU leaders in Brussels, the Government will hold another referendum before the end of next October in an effort to overturn last June's 'no' vote.

http://www.breakingnews.ie/ireland/mhsnauausnid/

Libertas registered as political party

The leader of Libertas, Declan Ganley, has said a report in last Saturday's Irish Times that his party has been registered as a European political party is substantially correct.

On RTÉ's Morning Ireland, he said the possibility of establishing Libertas as a pan-European organisation was being looked at, with the possibility of running candidates in many EU member states in the June 2009 European elections.

He said it would provide an opportunity across the EU to provide a proxy referendum on the Lisbon Treaty.

http://www.rte.ie/news/2008/1103/libertas.html

Eurosceptics to help Ganley if he is MEP candidate

LIBERTAS FOUNDER Declan Ganley has recruited two of Europe's most prominent Eurosceptics to help him if he decides to run in next year's European elections. He will travel to Paris tomorrow to speak at an event organised by a French Eurosceptic party, the Movement for France (MPF), to bolster his European links.

The former veteran Danish MEP Jens-Peter Bonde and Czech president Václav Klaus have pledged to support Mr Ganley to launch Libertas as a pan-EU political party. Both are ardent opponents of the EU and have tirelessly campaigned against policies that enable the EU to expand its activities beyond a common market.

http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/ireland/2008/0920/1221835126848.html

Libertas will have to 'come clean' over campaign funds

THE Government is planning a clampdown on organisations such as Declan Ganley's Libertas to force them to say where they get the money they spend on political campaigns.

After months of speculation about the source of Libertas' funding for its estimated spend of over €1m on the 'No to Lisbon' campaign, Mr Ganley admitted for the first time yesterday that he lent his organisation €200,000.

Meanwhile, the Government's attacks on Mr Ganley intensified yesterday when a minister branded the wealthy Libertas chief a "class-A hypocrite".

http://www.independent.ie/national-news/libertas-will-have-to-come-clean-over-campaign-funds-1478186.html

Libertas may field up to 30 candidates in EU vote

MULTI-millionaire Declan Ganley yesterday revealed plans for an audacious bid to take his 'No to Lisbon' campaign across Europe as an organised political party.

The Libertas leader gave his strongest indication yet that his group would contest next year's European elections across the EU.

Mr Ganley again refused to say where Libertas was getting its funding from or how much it spent in the Lisbon Treaty referendum campaign.

But he did confirm Libertas was involved in preparing the ground for a European election run, and the group would need 30 MEPs from across the continent to be effective.

No firm decision has been made yet, but Mr Ganley clearly indicated one plan which would involve running candidates in several countries.

http://www.independent.ie/national-news/libertas-may-field-up-to-30-candidates-in-eu-vote-1468253.html

Ganley tells Sarkozy that the Lisbon Treaty is dead

Chairman of Libertas, Declan Ganley, at a private group meeting with President of France and European Council Nicholas Sarkozy said that the Treaty of Lisbon is dead.

"During the meeting, President Sarkozy himself twice admitted that his own people would vote no to the Lisbon Treaty, as they have already rejected a very similar text in the guise of the failed EU Constitution. For President Sarkozy to come here and assemble a meeting of the successful no side and defeated yes side to discuss the treaty seems to suggest the people voted yes, this is a complete disregard for democracy. Last month the people of Ireland voted no, and their vote must be respected.

President Sarkozy listened to what everyone had to say - however whilst he says he respects the Irish vote - further assurances are needed that this is the case.

http://www.libertas.org/content/view/308/1/

Libertas may contest European elections

LIBERTAS FOUNDER Declan Ganley has confirmed that the group is raising money across Europe as it considers running candidates throughout the EU in next year's elections to the European Parliament.

And if Ireland voted a second time on the Lisbon Treaty, he predicted an even bigger No vote.
Mr Ganley made his comments before news emerged of French president Nicolas Sarkozy's reported view that the Irish electorate would have to vote again on Lisbon.

Speaking in Washington yesterday, Mr Ganley said a decision about running candidates in the election would hinge on the response by European governments to Ireland's rejection of the Lisbon Treaty.

"In terms of 2009, we're assessing the situation," he said. "Clearly, there is going to be a need to address this democratic deficit and, if the only mechanism available is the 2009 European elections across Europe, somehow the people of Europe need to be given the opportunity for a say on the Lisbon Treaty.

http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/ireland/2008/0716/1216073118337.html