Beslissing Europese subsidie voor Libertas in de wacht na onduidelijkheid met handtekeningenlijst (en)

The European Parliament has put a decision to grant anti-EU treaty group Libertas funding on hold after it emerged that the group may no longer fulfill the criteria for receiving the money.

The move to grant Libertas status as a European political party, entitling it to around €200,000, had already been taken by parliament officials in Strasbourg on Monday (2 February) when one of the members on the list denied ever backing the group.

Igor Grazin, a liberal member of the Estonian Parliament, was one of seven politicians whose names were used by Libertas to win recognition as a pan-European Party, but on Tuesday he said he was not involved.

"I have never signed any papers asking for recognition of Libertas as a political party in the EU and all corresponding claims are utterly untrue," said Mr Grazin, in a signed affidavit presented to the European Parliament chief, reports the Irish Times.

This means that the Libertas signatory list is one short of the seven it needs to establish a European political party. EU rules require that such parties have members from at least one quarter of the bloc's 27 member states.

Libertas was set up by Irish businessman Declan Ganley in the run up to Ireland's referendum on the EU's Lisbon Treaty.

The treaty was rejected last summer by Irish citizens, after which Mr Ganley announced he would use the momentum as a political platform ahead of the European elections in June.

The move to set up such a party has unleashed strong feelings in the European Parliament which is broadly in favour of the Lisbon Treaty.

"Mr Ganley appears to have fallen at the first hurdle. Apparently his claim to have recruited enough supporters was untrue. What Europe really needs is a bit more Veritas and a lot less Libertas," said Liberal MEP Andrew Duff, who unveiled Mr Grazin's affidavit denying involvement with Libertas.

However, Libertas has hit back saying that the Estonian's signature is in its "possession" and that it intends to publish the entire list of signatories on its website later today (4 February).

"We believe that Mr Grazin has been put under immense pressure by the Liberal (ALDE) grouping within the European Parliament to renounce his support of Libertas," it said in a statement.

The group also said it can find "many times the necessary signatures" if needed.

Other names on Libertas' list are three MEPs: Philippe de Villiers and Paul Marie Coûteaux from the Movement for France and Greek MEP Georgios Georgiou, as well as Finnish MP Timo Soini; Bulgarian MP Mincho Kuminev; and Polish politician Cyprian Gutkowski. Lord Alton from the British House of Lords is also on the list.

Before the current confusion over the signatory list, the liberal group admitted that Libertas would shake up the political consensus at European level and help pro-Europe groups organise themselves better.

"The presence of Libertas may well raise public interest in the European elections and force pro-Europeans to be bolder and better organised in their presentation and defence of the EU and its latest treaty reform," said Graham Watson, leader of the Liberal faction.