April 9, 2008 (LPAC)--At this moment, the Austrian national parliament is debating the Lisbon Treaty, and the lineup is for majority of 155 against 28, for the vote this afternoon. The pro-camp, notably Foreign Minister Ursula Plassnik, has made a particular effort to defame the anti-camp as "fear-mongers" and "almost religious fanatics against reason." After ratification by the parliament, the Treaty still requires ratification by the states of Austria, and there, especially in Carynthia but also in Steiermark, opposition is very strong. The Save Austria initiative will present its 103,000 signatures against the Treaty also to President Heinz Fischer, on Friday, calling on him to hold a referendum as matter of principle.

Among statements by opponents to the Treaty, one may also mention remarks by Andreas Moelzer, Free Democrat member of European Parliament, in an interview with the Die Presse daily today, saying that all the assurances given these days by the pro-people that there would not be a denationalization of decision-making by the EU, cannot be trusted, because reality at the EU is that already now, Austrian and other European politicians are making one concession to "Europe" after the other, and that will be enhanced by the Lisbon Treaty.