Luke Ming Flanagan TD.
LUKE ‘Ming’ Flanagan TD has confirmed his intention to seek a seat in the European elections, but ‘he’s no friend of Europe, at least not in its current form’.
In a statement announcing his candidacy in the Midlands North West constituency, Mr Flanagan has made clear his view that the ‘European project’ has already gone too far.
The Independent Roscommon TD said he wants Ireland to be part of a European community which ‘puts people before bankers and treats small nations equally’.
“We are now no longer a member of a community, we are a member of a Union which kicked us when we were down. A Union that took the side of the bond holders and left us with a bill of €70 billion,” he said.
Mr Flanagan warned that if the Eurozone project continues to its logical conclusion, it will wipe out any meaningful capacity for individual countries to exercise sovereignty over their affairs. He spoke out in favour of dropping the Euro currency altogether, claiming the only country that it currently serves is Germany.
Mr Flanagan’s campaign to legalise cannabis guarantees him a high profile among voters, while his outspoken criticism of EU bureaucracy and austerity makes him a strong contender in this hard-fought constituency.
However he faces stout competition from popular sitting MEPs Pat ‘The Cope’ Gallagher from Fianna Fáil, Independent Marian Harkin and Fine Gael duo Jim Higgins and Mairéad McGuinness.
Other hopefuls for the four seats in this sprawling constituency spanning 12 counties include Independent Senator Ronan Mullen, Sinn Féin’s Matt Carthy, Labour Senator Lorraine Higgins and Thomas Byrne of Fianna Fáil.
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