Ganley relaunch despite electoral destruction of his Libertas party

Ganley to launch second campaign opposing Lisbon
IRISH TIMES REPORTERS

Libertas founder Declan Ganley is to re-enter the debate on the Lisbon Treaty.

A Libertas spokesperson told The Irish Times this afternoon that Mr Ganley would hold a press conference tomorrow to outline his reasons for launching a new campaign opposing the treaty.

The businessman, who played an important role in the first referendum campaign, claimed in a newspaper interview yesterday it was “profoundly undemocratic” to ask the Irish people to vote again on the treaty.

“The Irish people had a vote on the Lisbon Treaty. They voted No. A higher percentage of the electorate voted No than voted for Barack Obama in the United States of America. No one’s suggesting he should run for re-election next month,” Mr Ganley told the Wall Street Journal .

“Not one comma has changed in the document,” he added.

Following his defeat in the June European Parliament elections, Mr Ganley said he would not be involved in a campaign against a second Lisbon Treaty referendum.

“I will not be involved in the second Lisbon campaign, I’ve said that up front,” he said at the time.

Mr Ganley, however, also told the Wall Street Journal he was “a committed European”.

“I am not a Eurosceptic, not in any way, shape or form. I believe that Europe’s future as united is the only sensible way forward.”

When asked about Mr Ganley’s possible return to the campaign trail yesterday, Minister for Finance Brian Lenihan said: “Mr Ganley is free to campaign. I have no information about his intentions – that’s a matter for himself.”

Minister for European Affairs Dick Roche said he did not think a decision by Mr Ganley to re-enter the Lisbon debate would provide any new momentum to the No campaign.