YES VOTE:LECH WALESA, a founder of Poland's pro-democracy Solidarity movement who later served as the country's president, will travel to Dublin on Friday to campaign for a Yes vote for the Lisbon Treaty.
“I will go to Ireland to encourage our Irish friends to ratify the treaty,” said Mr Walesa, who won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1983 for his work with Solidarity and who became president in 1990 after the collapse of communism.
He went on, however, to offer a somewhat qualified support for the treaty. “I think it is preferable that the European Union has this treaty – like an automobile needs a driver, whoever that may be.
“This Lisbon Treaty is not very good, but the European Union needs a framework and rules.”
Mr Walesa will visit Ireland at the invitation of Fine Gael, party leader Enda Kenny confirmed yesterday.
He is expected to participate in a number of the party’s Yes campaign events.
Mr Kenny welcomed the former Polish dissident’s decision to accept the invitation to Ireland.
“Lech Walesa is a legendary statesman who played a huge role in the restoration of democracy in central and eastern Europe.
“He will bring to Ireland a very powerful message about the importance of the European project and of his support for the Lisbon Treaty,” Mr Kenny said.
“He will also be able to address some of the ongoing arguments about the importance of Europe in areas such as the protection of workers’ rights.”
Several groups campaigning for a No vote in next month’s referendum have, as in last year’s referendum campaign, focused on the issue of workers’ rights, arguing that judgments by the European Court of Justice show that the rights of workers have been sidelined in favour of big business.
This is not the first time in which Mr Walesa has featured in the debate on the Lisbon Treaty in Ireland.
He briefly co-operated with anti-Lisbon group Libertas ahead of the European Parliament elections in June this year, admitting to media outlets in Poland that he had received money to appear at Libertas events in Rome and Madrid.
He insisted, however, that he did not agree with its opposition to the Lisbon Treaty.
At the time, Mr Walesa said he was also due to speak at a Libertas event in Dublin.
After coming under pressure in Poland, Mr Walesa said he would use that trip to call on Irish voters to support the Lisbon Treaty.
The visit never materialised, and Libertas later claimed there had never been a confirmed plan to invite Mr Walesa to Ireland.
Mr Walesa subsequently told the media that he did not support Libertas or its founder Declan Ganley, but rather wanted “to speak about new solutions which could best serve Europe”.
It is understood Mr Walesa’s office will cover the cost of this week’s trip.