April 24, 2008 (LPAC)--After two-and-a-half hours of debate, the national parliament of Germany ratified the Lisbon Treaty with 514 against 58 votes, and 1 abstention, this noon. The debate, which featured short speeches by Chancellor Angela Merkel, by the chairmen of the parliamentary groups, and by the groups' Europa policy spokesmen, as well as the two state governors of Rhineland-Palatinate and of Bavaria, was characterized by
pro-Treaty sound-bites.

The German vote, which followed the approval of the Treaty in Portugal on April 23, brings to 11 the number of European parliaments who have endorsed this anti-sovereignty blueprint for dictatorship and war. In Germany the Treaty now has to pass the upper house, the Bundesrat, (the vote is scheduled for May 23), and must be signed by the President. It takes rejection by only one nation to sink the Treaty, but despite the fact that the people of Europe hate the treaty, it will not be put to a referendum, so far, by any nation but Ireland.

In fact, popular resistance to the Treaty is growing, as shown by the fact that citizens came out in 22 cities in Italy, France, and Germany on April 23, to demonstrate against its ratification.