Open Europe Daily Press Summaryhttp://www.openeurope.org.ukThe latest daily press summaries from Open Europe(c) 2009 Open Europe. All rights reserved.5Former Chancellor: “We need to fight” proposed EU hedge fund regulation; Swedish government highlights need to re-work proposed regulation In an interview with City AM, former Chancellor Lord Lawson said of the EU’s proposed regulation of hedge funds and alternative investment funds, “We need to fight this legislation. Hedge funds do take risks but it is striking that while everyone is worried about them – largely because they don’t understand them – hedge funds haven’t had a problem throughout this.http://www.openeurope.org.uk/media-centre/summary.aspx?id=87803 July 2009Glenys Kinnock: Irish guarantees “do not change the Lisbon Treaty” and are not legally-binding In a debate in the Lords yesterday, Europe Minister Glenys Kinnock confirmed that Ireland will be voting on exactly the same text of the Lisbon Treaty a second time around. She said: “Those guarantees do not change the Lisbon treaty; the European Council conclusions are very clear on them.http://www.openeurope.org.uk/media-centre/summary.aspx?id=87702 July 2009Handelsblatt on German court decision on Lisbon: “for the Court there is only one real basis for democracy in the EU: the national Parliaments”The German Constitutional Court’s judgment on the compatibility of the Lisbon Treaty and the German Constitution has received widespread coverage. Der Spiegel notes that, while “Brussels celebrates the judgement”, the German Constitutional Court has expressed concern over the EU’s democratic deficit.http://www.openeurope.org.uk/media-centre/summary.aspx?id=87601 July 2009German Constitutional Court suspends ratification of the Lisbon Treaty, demanding a change to German law giving parliament more say over EU decision-makingFrankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung reports that the German Constitutional Court has ruled that the Lisbon Treaty is compatible with the German Constitution, but has withheld approval for immediate ratification, demanding a law to guarantee the rights of the German Parliament in the EU decision-making process.http://www.openeurope.org.uk/media-centre/summary.aspx?id=87530 June 2009New poll shows 77% of German voters want a referendum on the Lisbon TreatyJudges at the German Constitutional Court are tomorrow due to rule on the compatibility of the Lisbon Treaty with the German Constitution. Ahead of the decision, Open Europe, in collaboration with the Institute for Free Enterprise in Berlin, has published a new poll which shows that 77% of Germans want to be given a say on the Lisbon Treaty in a national referendum.http://www.openeurope.org.uk/media-centre/summary.aspx?id=87429 June 2009McCreevy admits most EU voters would reject Lisbon Treaty if they had the chanceAccording to the Belfast Telegraph, EU Commissioner Charlie McCreevy has this morning admitted that the Lisbon Treaty would have been rejected in most member states if it had been put to a public vote, and that many EU leaders were glad they had no legal obligation to hold referendums on the treaty in their own countries.http://www.openeurope.org.uk/media-centre/summary.aspx?id=87326 June 2009Senior Socialist MEP threatens Ireland with “second class” status and “isolation” if it rejects the Lisbon Treaty again; Irish PM: “It’s time we had a debate about the sort of Ireland we want in Europe, not the sort of Europe we feel bests suits Ireland” The Parliament reports that senior German Socialist MEP Jo Leinen has warned that Ireland risks being relegated to a “second class” nation if it again rejects the Lisbon Treaty in a referendum scheduled for the autumn. Leinen said, “If there is a 'No' vote in Ireland I think we are likely to see a two-speed Europe emerge, with Ireland being in what might be called the ‘second class’.http://www.openeurope.org.uk/media-centre/summary.aspx?id=87225 June 2009Gordon Brown: Irish ‘guarantees’ will “clarify not change” the Lisbon Treaty Gordon Brown and Conservative leader David Cameron clashed in the Commons last night over the ‘clarifications’ given to Ireland on the Lisbon Treaty. PA notes that Brown insisted that the ‘guarantees’ given to Ireland would “clarify but not change” the Lisbon Treaty.http://www.openeurope.org.uk/media-centre/summary.aspx?id=87124 June 2009German Interior Minister reaffirms commitment to European army In an interview with BBC Hard Talk, German Interior Minister Wolfgang Schäuble was asked about his previous comments in favour of a common European army. He replied saying: “We had polls in different European countries and the question was ‘would you prefer a national army or a European army?’ and the outcome was about two-thirds for a European army.http://www.openeurope.org.uk/media-centre/summary.aspx?id=87023 June 2009Ireland to vote on exactly the same text of Lisbon Treaty second time aroundFollowing the EU summit in Brussels last week, Open Europe has published a briefing on the ‘guarantees’ offered to Ireland in exchange for holding a second referendum on the Lisbon Treaty. Despite promises from the Irish government that they would not force people to vote on exactly the same text a second time around, the deal reached at the EU summit last week makes no change whatsoever to the text of the Treaty, meaning Irish voters will be voting on exactly the same text they rejected last year.http://www.openeurope.org.uk/media-centre/summary.aspx?id=86922 June 2009