Libertas.org

Libertas Chairman Declan Ganley has this afternoon said he has accepted an invitation to meet French President Nicholas Sarkozy.

Sarkozy will be hosting a meeting of members of the Yes and No sides from the Lisbon Treaty campaign on Monday.

"Along with many of my fellow Irish & European citizens, I was offended to hear Sarkozy say that Ireland would have to vote again. Sarkozy himself has denied the people of France a vote on the Lisbon Treaty saying 'if there was a referendum in France, there would be no treaty'. For Sarkozy to tell Ireland to vote again is a shocking indictment of the anti-democratic attitude of some European leaders.

As a European, and in particular as current President of the European Council, Sarkozy has a democratic responsibility to respect the will of the Irish people.

The Lisbon Treaty is dead, the same formula has now been rejected by the Dutch and by Sarkozy's own people and now by the people of Ireland.

Ireland was the only country to hold a referendum, and the people said no. If our fellow Europeans in the other 26 countries were given a referendum, I am sure that most of them would give the same answer that Ireland did.

I want Europe to be strong, prosperous and democratically legitimate. Comments by Sarkozy in response to the only democratic say on the Lisbon Treaty make Europe weaker.

On Monday when we meet, I will be asking that he accept that the Irish people have rejected the Lisbon Treaty.

Libertas will not participate in any debate on the Lisbon treaty on Monday - that debate ended when the people of Ireland voted no".