A RENEWED anti-EU fiscal treaty campaign was launched in Dublin yesterday by the Europe of Freedom and Democracy group in the European Parliament.
The Eurosceptic group has posted a leaflet to every household in the State claiming the fiscal treaty condemns the Irish public to “perpetual debt”. The campaign is costing just under €200,000.
The co-president of the group, British MEP Nigel Farage, speculated that the euro could collapse in the next few months, making a referendum redundant.
“It is virtually impossible for what you are voting on to remain as it is currently. There could be huge changes to the treaty and there could be huge changes to the euro zone itself,” Mr Farage said.
Minister for European Affairs Lucinda Creighton criticised the leaflet and questioned the motivations of the group.
“Nigel Farage is the leader of the UK Independence Party; their policies include ending multiculturalism and strictly limiting UK citizenship. They certainly cannot be expected to act in Ireland’s best interests.”
Danish MEP Morten Messerschmidt claimed that if the treaty was passed, the Irish Government would be forced to increase corporation tax. The only way to stop the tax being changed was by voting No, he said.
Mr Messerschmidt (31), a solicitor, was a member of the Danish parliament from February 2005 until July 2009 before becoming a member of European Parliament for the Danish People’s Party. His party is a right-wing, anti-immigration group that has become increasingly popular.
In February 2001, the Young Danish People’s Party placed an advertisement stating that a multi-cultural society leads to violence, female oppression and forced marriages.