Word: europeanizer
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That kind of attitude has long characterized so-called Euro-skepticism. But Ganley's money and political ambition has some rattled. Like other Euro MPs, British Liberal Democrat member of the European Parliament Andrew Duff dismisses Ganley as a rabble-rouser out for publicity. "It's utter balls to say he represents democracy," Duff says. "Scratch the surface and you'll discover he's a demagogue and a Europhobe." But Duff is also worried that Ganley could appeal to disgruntled European voters. "There is a real danger that this simplistic populism will strike a chord with voters that are profoundly...
...Ireland for 27 years. He talks fondly of his 97-year-old Irish grandmother who moved to Scotland to pick potatoes. Ganley created Libertas to campaign against the E.U.'s Lisbon Treaty - a so-far failed attempt to get countries to sign up to a re-write of a European Constitution - in Ireland's referendum last June. He is credited - or blamed - for the 'no' vote, and the subsequent institutional turmoil that continues to haunt...
Libertas ran a controversial campaign and has been accused of scaremongering: many voters thought - wrongly - that the treaty would introduce conscription into a European army and weaken Ireland's laws against abortion. The confusion also raised questions about whether the Lisbon Treaty was too complicated and technical to be put to a referendum. But Ganley, who will run himself in Ireland's northwest constituency, rejects such claims. "Democracy is not supposed to be perfect," he says. "It's a blunt instrument. It's not expected to be efficient...
With a personal fortune estimated at $300 million, Ganley has plenty of money to bankroll his new party. To hone his message, he has hired American Democratic campaign consultant Joe Trippi. Ganley talks of Libertas winning 70 seats in the 736-member European Parliament, more than enough to become a powerbroker between the other political groups. The only E.U.-wide poll, predict09.eu, suggests that Libertas could win a few seats but will fall well short of its stated goal...
Ganley has also faced questions about his own accountability and transparency, about his funding of Libertas in Europe, and his business links with the U.S. military. The European Parliament said last year that their own investigation found Ganley had signed contracts with the Pentagon worth about $200 million. Ganley's opponents claim his anti-E.U. stance reflects hiw connections with U.S. interests, a claim Ganley has always rejected...