Despite acres of news print and hours of airtime Libertas have failed to make an impression in Poland at barely 2% in latest poll

The fact that Libertas are polling terribly in Poland despite having vast amounts of TV time from the corrupt LPF TVP channel means that their plan to have any significant number of MEPs afetr the June elections is over. Poland has rejected the xenophobic fascism of the own League of Polish Families and have also rejected the anti Polish stance of Libertas in Ireland who want to close the borders to Polish workers,

Civic Platform well ahead in EP opinion poll

27.05.2009 12:2

According to the latest opinion poll, the ruling Civic Platform will gain almost half of all votes cast in the European parliamentary elections on June 7, while Libertas has failed to interest voters.

Prime Minister Donald Tusk’s Civic Platform is way ahead of the opposition Law and Justice party, according to the poll by PBS DGA.

If the European Parliament elections took place today, Civic Platform would win with 47 percent support, the opposition Law and Justice party would come in second with 25 percent of votes. The Democratic Left Alliance would gain 10 percent support and the Polish Peasant’s Party – the junior coalition party in the current government - would secure nine percent.

The smaller parties are failing to capture voters’ imagination. With the Self Defence party on three percent, Polish Labour Party on two percent, the Real Politics Union one percent, Polish Right party and the Centre-Left party on less than one percent, all would fall under electoral threshold and fail to gain any seats in the European Parliament under Poland’s proportional representation system..

And despite acres of news print and hours of airtime over the past few weeks on Polish media, the anti-Lisbon Treaty Libertas party has made little headway with voters, with just two percent of respondents saying they will vote for them on polling day.

“The survey proves that a low turnout will help the bigger parties like Civic Platform and the Democratic Left Alliance,” Marcin Splawski from PBS DGA pollsters told Gazeta Wyborcza.

The survey was conducted on 22 to 24 May among a sample of 1063.

Turnout in the last European parliamentary elections in Poland, in 2004 – just weeks after the nation joined the EU – was just 20 percent. (mg/pg)

Irish Labour MEP says Libertas are a " fascist party"

Readers of this blog will know that they heard it here first but Proinsias de Rossa has stated that Libertas are a fascist party after Caroline Simons unveiled Libertas plans to restrict European right to travel and work in other EU countries. Mr de Rossa has recently been attacked by Simons because he of his age.

De Rossa also correctly noted that if Libertas's policy was introduced te
"If this system was implemented, tens of thousands of Irish people living and working across the EU would have to be sent home."

Not only are Libertas a far right party they are obviously on lunatics as well. Polling at only 1% in an Irish Times poll Simons and Libertas have now decided to play the race card in their cynical and dangerous bid to garner support.
This blog calls on all politicians and people to boycott Libertas candidates, party workers and supporters.

Saturday, May 16, 2009
Libertas accused of being 'fascist' over migrant plan


HARRY McGEE, Political Staff

IMMIGRATION ROW: LIBERTAS HAS been accused of being “fascist” and of playing the “immigration card” with its plans to impose a two-year limit on migration into Ireland from other European states and a ban on immigrants claiming benefits here.

The party’s Dublin candidate, Caroline Simons, said yesterday that the immigration issue was the “elephant in the room” in the European election campaign.

She said that Libertas was calling for the adoption of a “blue card” throughout the European Union that would allow a citizen of the EU to live in another member state for up to two years as a guest worker as long as they were not a burden on the receiving state.

“This would mean that guest workers from EU member states would no longer be entitled to dole, rent subsidy, or any other state handout. Health and other social benefits would remain a matter for the member state from which the citizen originated,” she said. She said that migrants who require access to schools or other essential social services could apply for them on the same basis as now. If an immigrant lost their job, they would no longer be entitled to remain in the State once the blue card expired. Those in employment could apply for a new blue card after two years.

Describing the approach as one of “common sense”, she said Libertas believed in regulated economic migration in the 27 member states. However, she said the burden placed on Ireland and other EU states was unfair.

She claimed 29,000 new PPS numbers had been issued in Ireland this year to EU nationals when there were 400,000 unemployed people in Ireland.

“The Libertas plan would ensure that these people would come here only to work, study, or explore Ireland. We must reduce the burden to Ireland of caring for inhabitants of other member states and this plan is an equitable and fair way of doing it,” she said.

Her comments followed similar comments on Thursday by Libertas East candidate Raymond O’Malley, who said the time had come to stop the tide of workers coming from accession states.

In relation to asylum seekers from outside the EU, she said that if the Dublin Convention was enforced, Ireland would have fewer asylum seekers. Under the convention, an asylum seeker must be processed in the first State at which they arrive. She said there “was no direct flight from Lagos to Dublin”.

Labour’s Dublin MEP Proinsias de Rossa said he expected nothing else from Libertas which he accused of being a “fascist party”. He said: “They are aligned with all the far-right parties across Europe. It is divisive politics that these parties are involved in. If this system was implemented, tens of thousands of Irish people living and working across the EU would have to be sent home.

Fianna Fáil’s candidate in East Thomas Byrne said the policy was ludicrous. “Immigration is a complex issue and to reduce it to an electoral soundbite is dangerous,” he told Today FM.

Libertas candidate wants torture of suspects to be allowed in Europe

Libertas candidate in Holland supports a Dick Cheny's style torture regime in Europe.
Eline van den Broek, the Libertas candidate in European elections in the Netherlands, for the use of torture techniques in interrogations of terror suspects. That she writes on her own weblog.
views on torture defended.


Libertas are the scum of the earth. They must be run out of public life.

At least two of its candidates in Italy, Francesco Storace & Teodoro Buontempo, have a 'neo-fascist' background

At least two of its candidates in Italy, Francesco Storace & Teodoro
Buontempo, have a 'neo-fascist' background:

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/italian-right-may-conquer-rome-for-first-time-in-six-decades-815863.html

http://abluteau.wordpress.com/2009/03/20/the-march-of-mussolini-into-italys-mainstream/

Two weeks earlier, a gang of 200 Nazi-skins marched through the
northern Italian city of Vicenza shouting racist slogans and waving
banners with swastika-like emblems. Mainstream political leaders
expressed outrage, but not Teodoro Buontempo, 48, a self-proclaimed
fascist elected to Parliament in March on the ticket of the National
Alliance, the successor to the party founded by followers of Benito
Mussolini. In an interview with the Turin daily La Stampa, Buontempo
said, "I would send them into the midst of society" to proclaim their
values.

http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,980841,00.html

The head of the MSI’s Rome federation was Teodoro Buontempo. He was
previously the leader of the Fronte Della Gioventu (Youth Front—the
youth organisation of the MSI), and has in the past been closely
involved in attempts to link up with and encompass a sizeable umbrella
grouping of Nazi skinheads known as the Movimento Politico (MP). The
MP is linked to the international “Naziskin” cultural movement Blood
and Honour, and has been implicated in numerous terrorist attacks on
immigrants, Jews and gypsies.
The head of the MSI’s Rome federation was Teodoro Buontempo. He was
previously the leader of the Fronte Della Gioventu (Youth Front—the
youth organisation of the MSI), and has in the past been closely
involved in attempts to link up with and encompass a sizeable umbrella
grouping of Nazi skinheads known as the Movimento Politico (MP). The
MP is linked to the international “Naziskin” cultural movement Blood
and Honour, and has been implicated in numerous terrorist attacks on
immigrants, Jews and gypsies.

http://www.fifthinternational.org/index.php?id=47,184,0,0,1,0

The puri e duri, the hardcore fascist elements, have been gritting
their teeth and screaming defiance. One group wanted to stage a
ceremony to mark the extinguishing of the flame at the “Altar of the
Nation”, the wedding cake-like symbol of Italy that towers over Piazza
Venezia in Rome. The city’s mayor, ironically himself a lifelong
“post-Fascist”, banned it.
But the puri e duri will not give up. “The National Alliance dies, the
Right lives!” declares a flyer scattered about by one of the
hard-right parties, whose symbol sports an oversized flame.
“Today, with the betrayal of our ideas, of our story and our
identity,” roars one of their leaders, Teodoro Buontempo, the national
president of The Right party, “we have the duty to make clearer than
ever that our party was born to assure the continuity of our ideals …
[Join us] to scream your indignation against a ruling class of
trimmers and nobodies.”

http://abluteau.wordpress.com/2009/03/20/the-march-of-mussolini-into-italys-mainstream/

It's Official Libertas ally with the Far Right in Poland

Its official Libertas far right connections confirmed. furthermore as support for his allies has collapsed Ganley is reported to be funding the whole campaign personally. This is technically illegal in Poland but it is likely that the loophole exposed by this blogger will be utilised whereby Ganley will guarantee loans that the Polish Liberats will take out and then after the elections deliberately default on. This will allow Ganley to pay the loans off without it appearing that he technically funded the actual elections.
Slippery and lacking in Transparency Yes. Straight up and clean politics No
Polskie Radio reports today
Libetas have been trying to persuade German, Spanish and Dutch political activist that they are not in league with the far right. they had previously recruited from the ranks of the LPF. The truth is out now.

Libertas allies with fringe right wing in Poland

The Polish branch of the anti-Lisbon Treaty Libertas Party, and two small far-right parties, will draw up a common list of candidates for June’s election for the European Parliament.

Libertas Polska will be supported by the League of Polish Families (LPR) – a junior coalition partner in the 2006-2007 government, and Naprzod Polsko-Piast a small party created by former MPs from LPR and the Polish Peasant Party (PSL).

Two incumbent MEPs from the Union for Europe of the Nations Group will also strive for re-election from the list: Dariusz Grabowski and Zdzislaw Podkanski.

“We love Europe and we want a better European Union, without the sinister Treaty of Lisbon,” deputy leader of Libertas Polska, Artur Zawisza told Gazeta Wyborcza.

Leader of Liberas, Irish millionaire Declan Ganley, declared that he wants the elections to the European Parliament to be a referendum against the “anti-democratic Brussels and Treaty of Lisbon”. Ganley led the successful “No” campaign against the Lisbon Treaty in Ireland last year.

Election funding

The election campaign in Poland will be financed by Declan Ganley himself, as current support for LPR and other fringe parties on the right wing of Polish politics have little support within the country and would consequently struggle to meet the costs themselves.

Though European election law insists that campaign funds must come from within the relevant nations, Ganley will secure loans taken out in Poland, so finding a way around the rule, it was revealed late last month. Libertas Polska will then default on the loans, forcing banks to seek recompense from Ganley himself.

Vice President Artur Zawisza was quoted in the Polityka weekly, March 28, as saying: ""The most important thing for banks is to assess the creditworthiness and the collateral. I know they consulted with Mr. Declan Ganley." (jg/pg)

Leader of Slovakian party Sloboda a Solidarita, Richard Šulík, who believes Gypsies should be sterilised is made offer by Declan Ganley and Libertas

In late January a meeting was held in an upstairs room at the Czech Inn, a pub in Dublin's Temple bar. The meeting was for Slovakians living in Ireland and the purpose of the meeting was to promote a new political party Sloboda a Solidarita. Though Libertas are not on the final lists running in Slovakia it seems that Libertas have asked the new party to work with them and they have been considering their position. One of the issues raised at the meeting was the question of Jews and their treatment in Slovakia during World War II. The concluding point from the platform at this meeting in Dublin in January 2009 about the treatment of Slovakian Jews was "Something had to be done".

After the formal meeting those in attendance went downstairs to the bar where informal discussion took place in a social setting. One of the points that excited the Sloboda a Solidarita cadre organising the meeting was the fact that the party expected to receive funding and support from Declan Ganley and Libertas. It's founder Richard Sulík was courted by Libertas leader Declan Ganley at a recent meeting in Bratislava . The first post below is from Libertas.eu the official Libertas website.

Slovakia is "fertile ground for the Libertas message of democracy, accountability and transparency"

Tuesday, 17 March 2009 09:31

Large numbers of Slovakians signed up today to hear the Libertas message of democracy, accountability and transparency in a speech given by Declan Ganley in Bratislava.

Mr. Ganley, the Chairman of Libertas, is in Bratislava as part of the preparations for Libertas's European Parliament election campaign in Slovakia.

Jan Oravec, former Chief of Strategy of the Ministry of Economy and President of the Hayek Foundation who hosted Declan Ganley said "Slovakia is fertile ground for the Libertas message of democracy, accountability and transparency. We are great supporters of the European Union, but are disappointed in the anti-democratic way it's being run. Slovakians, particularly in these difficult economic times, want a better deal from Europe".

Amongst the leading figures that Libertas met with in Bratislava are Mr. Jan Carnogursky, former Prime Minister of Slovakia, from the KDH party, Mr. Vladimir Palko, former Minister of Justice from the KDS party, Mr Peter Zajac, Mr Peter Osusky and Mr Ondrej Dostal from the OKS party, and Mr Richard Sulík, President of the Freedom and Solidarity party.

At a public speech in a packed venue with invited members of the public, Declan Ganley encouraged Slovakians to play their part in making a better Europe for themselves. "Non-elected, unaccountable bureaucrats are making decisions in Brussels that change the way you live your life. They never have to answer for their actions at the ballot box. The established parties are happy to keep it that way. If you want to have more say , then vote for a Libertas candidate at the June elections" .

Speaking on the economy, Declan said "Libertas believes that a united Europe has the opportunity to reshape the global economy and lead the way to recovery. Economic recovery in Europe and in Slovakia will come from smart policies that create an environment where people are prepared and encouraged to create more small and medium-sized businesses. These create more new jobs than any other sector. It's where innovation and the true genius of European creativity resides."

Libertas also will stand with us?

Here is what Sulík had to say after meeting Ganley

Libertas also will stand with us?
By the third morning in Bratislava Ganley sat with the tax reform author Richard Šulíka of the Freedom and Solidarity "We received an offer for cooperation, and are considering that," said Sulík. Link to Google translate version

Here is what happened to the majority of Slovakian Jews under the Nazi collaborating government of Slovakia.

THE HOLOCAUST IN SLOVAKIA

Slovakia was also the first Axis partner to consent to the deportation of its Jewish residents in the framework of the "Final Solution." According to a census of December 15, 1940, there were about 88,951 Jews in Slovakia. In March 1942, Slovakia signed an agreement with Germany that permitted the deportation of the Slovak Jews. Between March and October 1942, Slovak gendarmes, assisted by Slovak military personnel, units of the Slovak People's Party's paramilitary organization, the Hlinka Guard, and members of the Slovak ethnic German paramilitary formation Freiwillige Schutzstaffel (Volunteer SS), concentrated some 57,000 Slovak Jews in indigenously established labor and concentration camps -- mainly in the camps Sered, Novaky, and Vyhne.

The Slovak authorities then transported the Jews to the border of the Government General or the German Reich and turned them over to German SS and police. German authorities killed virtually all of these Jews in Auschwitz, Lublin/Majdanek, Sobibor, and other locations in German-occupied Poland. Perhaps 300 survived the war. Among them were Alfred Wetzler and Walter Rosenberg (alias Rudolf Vrba), who escaped from Auschwitz in the spring of 1944 and compiled the first detailed report on operations there for general dissemination in the west.

I asked a relative of mine's Slovakian girlfriend, who was at the meeting as she was interested in the new parties rhetoric, to look into Šulík, here is what she had to say. She also translated one of his recent articles.

Richard Šulík,

"I went through your blog, nice job!

As my boyfriend mentioned to you, there is a new party who are very ambitious about getting some seats in the Slovak parliament in next year's election.
They're claiming themselves to be 'liberal' and so is their platform /from the economic point of view. The leader of this party (Richard Sulik) is rather 'nationalistic' with some scary views on the gypsy ethnicity which he's apparently not afraid to write down and post in an article in newspapers and his blog .

I got the feeling his party will join Libertas sooner or later. Richard already met Declan Ganley a couple of weeks ago.. a proposal has been made to the party
which is still being considered.

As you suggested I translated some of his blogs/forum posts into English. especially the one where he's talking about 'The 'particular ethnic problem' (his own words).

Anyway the party Sloboda a Solidarita was the one I was hoping would be the ideal for me as a liberal - centralist person as their idea of 'freedom and solidarity' was something I could imagine myself to agree with, after reading some of Richard's blogs I'm very concerned.. If they join libertas then it will be even clearer for me.

Just drop me an email if you'll want to know more about the progress here in Eastern Europe

What I hate is their abusing words like freedom and liberalism in their extremist propaganda
They come up with appealing economic reforms first.. then they start talking about gypsies who're not facing the consequences for their crimes and their unwillingness to work the same way as the other people must face i.e "white" people.

good luck with your blog"

Here is her translation of an article by Sulnick

I finished translating this article, here's the link to the source

http://hnonline.sk/nazory/c1-31911790-urcite-etnikum
The newspaper is one of the biggest ones in Slovakia, previously known for their rather liberal views the author is Richard Sulik, the leader of Sloboda a Solidarita. The article was written by the end of last year. The party was founded some weeks ago. Their goals are: be elected to the parliament in 2010, gain some seats, so they would have the commercial space for their PR. In 2014 they want to be in the government.

Here's my translation

The Specific Ethnicity by Richard Sulík

Is a politically correct name for our black-ish brothers, and regardless what name we’ll choose it is along with the "First Pillar" (referring to a Slovak social welfare payment system) Slovakia’s problem No.1. While the problem with First Pillar is explicitly about money and there is at least a proposed solution, the problem with Roman (gypsy) ethnicity is extreme in many dimensions and the solution is not within our sights.

Sociologists are concerned that in 21st century and in the centre of Europe, people live in slums, light years away from basic hygienic standards. Demographics show the problem is in the tremendous increase in population. Economists see the problem with this group’s receiving of payments and not contributing to the State’s expenses. They cost the State is not a small amount of money. Criminologists and statisticians could talk for hours as well.

Another concern is that for 20 years, we’re have been closing our eyes to the problems related to this Specific Ethnicity, for example, by not registering the race of the recipients of social payments or the criminals. Yes, I know, it would not be politically correct. But what is the situation now? In fact we know nothing about them. They live with us, but we don’t have a clue how much they cost us, how many of them have a job or how many of them are criminals. We don’t know because it is impolite, because of the administrators from Brussels , because who would want to be considered a racist? The problem is big and it is ideal to be postponed until the next elections. Who would want to lose those votes?

Of course it is not required to register the ethnic background of people (in receipt the social welfare payments and criminals, as we do not register that we don’t look at it at all. But it is not like that. By having a sexual intercourse with a 14 year old, by neglecting parental responsibilities, by not paying the electricity bills for several years, by stealing potatoes and wood a Whiteman is sent to jail, but a ‘member of Specific ethnicity’ faces no consequences. This statement is not racism, it is i a bare fact we are closing our eyes to. Government’s only effort was to pay 2500 Euro for first 3 children. In case the mother is not adult yet, her parents would get the money. And here we are.

My Slovakian source added

oh and in one of his posts on the party's page on Facebook he's actually stating that there should be a plan for voluntary sterilizations of gypsy women (they would be paid some 3000 euro for being sterilized after 3rd child)

So this is the type of people that Ganley courts in his bid to entrap Europe. Libertas will no doubt regard this blog entry as lies and say they have made no offer to Sulík, the facts speak for themselves. Libertas.eu notes that Šulík met Ganley and Šulík has started that he has received an offer from Libertas. How long can this charade be allowed to continue. It is my opinion that Libertas and its allies should be the subject of criminal investigations into funding and incitement to race hatred. It is time to stand up and be counted. regardless of your attitude and opinion to the Lisbon Treaty and the EU this attack on our democracy can not be allowed to proceed.

It is time to resist Libertas by all means available. Libertas can not be allowed to get a foothold inside our democratic institutions.

The far right are fighting in France Le Pen says Ganley is "suspected to be an American official"

Jean-Marie Le Pen says Ganley is "suspected to be an American official"

If Libertas are not a far right party what are France's far right Front Nationale worried about?
Will ganley tell us that they are only far right in France. This little tussle will play get nasty as the campaigns get under way.

Last weekend the French far right party Front Nationale launched its drive for the European elections in June. Jean-Marie Le Pen the party's 82 year leader criticised other far right leaders including Phillipe de Villiers of the Mouvement Pour la France, who made an election pact with Declan Ganley and Libertas.
As predicted on this blog, the Front Nationale see Libertas as one of the threats to their far right voting base and is bringing Ganley's American connections to the fore. Indeed Le Pen labelling Declan Ganley as "a locomotive millionaire suspected to be an American official".

If Libertas is not a far right party why are the far right so interested in their voting potential?

The FN is not alone in the family of French nationalist eurosceptics. Nicolas Dupont-Aignan heads the movement Debout la République , while Philippe de Villiers and Frédéric Nihous are now allies under the banner of Libertas, the party which successfully led the campaign against the Lisbon Treaty in Ireland (EurActiv 11/03/09). Moreover, the Parti de la France , founded by Carl Lang, a former member of the FN, will present candidates in at least two districts.

In fact, some arguments put forward on Sunday by Le Pen are very similar to those presented by the Movement pour la France , a party headed by Philippe de Villiers. Both vehemently oppose Turkey's accession to the EU and have expressed fears that Europe is planning to slap a "dangerous product" label on Camembert cheese.

However, divisions among French nationalist parties are never far around the corner. The president of the FN openly criticised de Villiers for his alliance with Libertas, labelling its leader Declan Ganley as "a locomotive millionaire suspected to be an American official".

For full report Euractiv.com

Le Pen also stated that Ganley supported the entry of Turkey into Europe, where does that leave de Villiers famously opposes Turkey's entry? the far right leader also said denounced stated Ganley supporting the full military supremacy of NATO. Here





Ganley and French hard right at Libertas launch press conference

New Libertas funding claim in France: MEP Coûteaux accuses MPF of taking Libertas cash

Hunting in packs the new threat to Franch democarcy the "Mad Vicount" Phillipe de Villiers,
Declan" I am not a liar, a murderer, CIA, KGB" Ganley and Frédéric "The Psycho" Nihous

Declan Ganley's Libertas are accused of funding French party Movement Pour le France
De Villiers decision to go under the banner of liberty is far from unanimous in the party. MEP Paul-Marie Coûteaux has declared that the MPF have recieved funding from Libertas according to La Tribune.

32 federation presidents have signed a motion of no confidence against Philippe de Villiers. . At the top of the rebellion,

Coûteaux

also said "why do we sovereignists, we would agree to be led by a foreigner?"

MEP goes even further, accusing the MPF of receiving funding from Libertas. "

"Slander!" Nihous Villiers heartily reply and to ensure that "no one eurocent Libertas will be used for the French country."

The presidents of Hunting, Fishing, Nature and Traditions (CPNT) and the Movement for France (MPF), launched their campaign for European elections. The movements of the two former presidential candidates to go under the banner of Libertas, the party created by the Irish leader.


For the MPF and CPNT, the Libertas campaign will give the finger to the entrance of Turkey into Europe, against which Philippe de Villiers has struggled for several years. For this Libertas demands that the European Parliament imposes a "perimeter of Europe." "We want a Europe that promotes and defends us," says Philippe de Villiers, alluding to the introduction of a system of preference in emigration.
For Declan Ganley, the implementation of the text would lead Europe to a phase of "post-democracy." "So you will lose any opportunity to make your voice heard in Brussels." Dramatizing, the Irishman continued: "Millions of people have shed their blood all over Europe for democracy!"

Frédéric Nihous calls on the EU to establish a "true European environmental policy" calling for "putting people at the heart of the debate." "Stop dreaming! Stop being utopians'," he says. Beyond a willingness to work together, the president of CPNT quickly found other things in common with Ganley, also a hunter. Frédéric Nihous declared "we will hunt in packs."

Although Libertas officially announce the composition of its list in"ten to fifteen days," Philippe de Villiers has confirmed that he would run in the West, and Frédéric Nihous in the Northwest. As for the nomination of Jerome Riviere, director of the French countryside for Libertas, and the head of the list francilienne, is no longer a secret. Patrick Louis should be renewed in the Southeast.

But the decision to go under the banner of Libertas is far from unanimous in the party.

32 federation presidents have signed a motion of no confidence against Philippe de Villiers. At the top of the rebellion, MEP Paul-Marie Coûteaux stresses that Libertas had "enormous problems". He was to the head of the list for the Ile-de-France , he denounced a "grip on the campaign" on the MPF party of Declan Ganley." The prize of leading the campaign was given to Philippe de Villiers.. Coûteaux continued: "why do we sovereignists agree to be led by a foreigner?"

The MEP went even further, accusing the MPF of recieving funding from Libertas. "Slander!" declare Nihous and Villiers "not one eurocent from Libertas will be made for the French countryside."

Ganley's racist and neo Nazi pals examined by Irish historian

This excellent article is by Dave Uwakwe a post-graduate researcher at University College Dublin and is from the University Observer. Uwake examines the contradictions between Declan Ganley and his Libertas in rhetoric and in reality. He notes that wheras the Libertas manifesto seems to support human diversity, Ganley has made alliances with neo nazis and racists in order to push his agenda forward.

Libertas’s illiberal friends

Submitted by David Uwakwe on Monday, 2 March 2009One Comment

Does Libertas really believe what its new right wing friends believe, asks Dave Uwakwe, or is it just desperate for allies?

The recent controversy surrounding Libertas’s efforts to register itself as a European political party in time for the upcoming European elections has brought confusion and clarity in equal measure to our understanding of the organisation as a political entity.

The confusion has resulted from the denial of two of the supposed signatories to their application for EU funds to help finance their campaign. First, Igor Grazin, an Estonian MP denied that he had ever given his signature to any such application shortly followed by Bulgarian MP Mincho Kuminev who also strenuously denies ever signing any documents in relation to Libertas.

Libertas fired back claiming that those individuals were intimidated into rescinding their support by the European Commission. On their website they have posted photo evidence of the signatures in question on the pertinent documents.

The rules concerning the establishment of pan-European political parties stipulate that at least seven signatures from national or European politicians must be obtained in order to access campaign funds. Consequently the €200,000 granted to Libertas will not actually be made available to them until a full investigation has been carried out.

The Libertas chairman Declan Ganley has lashed out at Brussels, accusing the commission and parliament of orchestrating a dirty tricks campaign, indicative of the un-democratic practises that he and his party want to rid Europe of.

Out of this suspicion and uncertainty however some clarity is beginning to emerge as to exactly what kind of values Libertas espouse, apart from their monolithic opposition to the Lisbon Treaty. By looking at the ideologies subscribed to by those who whose signatures remain on the ill-fated application documents we can surmise Libertas’s own ideological outlook.

“A very clear picture is emerging, and one that begs us to look twice at the stated objectives of the Libertas manifesto”

A very clear picture is emerging, and one that begs us to look twice at the stated objectives of the Libertas manifesto, one of which reads; “For Europe to build a true and successful Union, that Union must include and involve you. The conditions must be subject to you. They must respect your identity and culture.”

One of the signatories of the Libertas application is Cyprian Gutowski, regional assembly member for the All-Polish Youth party. Was it respectful of the identity and culture of all Europeans when members of that party were filmed at in the company of neo-Nazi skin heads, listening to Nazi songs and saluting the swastika?

How indeed does Chairman Ganley propose to harmonise the opposition of the All-Polish Youth party to liberalism, tolerance and relativism, as stated in their founding manifesto, with Libertas’ own profession to “stand for tolerance and for the belief that every citizen has rights and limitless potential.”

How does their stated respect for an individual’s rights of culture and identity chime with the values held by the True Finns party, with whom Libertas are in talks about forming a parliamentary alliance? The Finnish State prosecutor is considering whether to press hate crimes charges against one of that party’s councillors, resulting from his daily anti-immigration blog.

Another supporter is Georgios Georgiou, a member of a Greek nationalist party called Laikos Orthodoxos Synagermos which released a statement when the mayor of the island of Tilos presided over a homosexual civil marriage deploring “the cruel reality that we are living in the society of faggots.”

But we need not look as far as Libertas’s colourful friends overseas to uncover apparent double standards between what the party says and what the party does. Libertas consistently calls for “a new, democratic, accountable and open European Union” whilst failing to account for its own sources of funding and finance to the satisfaction of the Oireachtas or the European Commission, a full eight months after the Lisbon referendum was held.

Until all of this is resolved, and Libertas reveal their actual candidates and policies the information that can be gleaned from the murky waters surrounding the organisation point to a series of contradictions; a purportedly centrist party that gladly enlists the support of anti-semites and homophobes, a supposedly Europhile party that has scoured the halls of Brussels for every Eurosceptic and secessionist to fill its ranks with and finally a party calls for accountability from others whilst refusing to disclose its own sources of funding.

This might all be put down to teething troubles or political naivety. Whatever it is, Ganley and co have a little over four months to prove they are not the far right Eurosceptics that they increasingly appear to be