Thread: Disobedient Irish To Vote On EU Again

Irish will vote on EU's Lisbon Treaty for a second time next year

Irish voters who rejected the Lisbon Treaty in June will be asked to vote again on the issue next year, paving the way for controversial EU laws to be introduced in Britain.

Last Updated: 8:54PM GMT 08 Dec 2008

All 27 member states must ratify the Treaty before it comes into force. Ireland, Poland and the Czech Republic are the only nations that have not yet agreed to do so.

British voters were initially promised a referendum on whether to adopt the EU Constitution, but the Government decided against allowing it after the document was rebranded as the Lisbon Treaty.

On Thursday the Irish Prime Minister Brian Cowen will confirm that a new vote will be held in 2009.

Diplomats have named October as the most likely date for the vote, while Government sources said April was also being considered

Mr Cowen said he believed that the economic crisis could help persuade some of those who voted against the Treaty to change their minds.

The Government is expected to argue that Ireland would have been in a worse position if it had not signed up to the euro, and that the Treaty will speed up decision-making and help tackle the downturn.

Diplomats said a deal had been struck between France, which holds the rotating EU presidency, Ireland and EU legal services in Brussels under which the Lisbon Treaty could enter into force by January 2010.

As part of the deal, Dublin will retain the right to name an EU Commissioner – a major concession to appease Irish voters who rejected the Treaty in June. Under the treaty, the number of commissioners is to be capped at two-thirds the number of member states, each of whom currently appoint a candidate to the post.

Mr Cowen will also seek assurances from his EU peers at the summit on December 11 and 12 that the Treaty will not undermine Ireland's own policies in sensitive areas such as abortion, taxation and military neutrality, diplomats said.

"There is still some tweaking to do, but there is an understanding," a second diplomat said.

An Irish parliamentary report last month gave the legal go-ahead for the government to hold a second plebiscite.

But despite the backing of France for the special treatment Ireland is seeking in return for holding a second vote, it is far from certain that other EU states will give their blessing.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldne ... -year.html

Mr Cowen said he believed that the economic crisis could help persuade some of those who voted against the Treaty to change their minds.
The Government is expected to argue that Ireland would have been in a worse position if it had not signed up to the euro, and that the Treaty will speed up decision-making and help tackle the downturn.

I hope the Irish reject this again. Adopting a common currency with trade partners to make transactions easier does not necessarily mean you should give up sovereignty for economic, or any other decisions.

My in laws just left from a visit here last week. We talked about the treaty and the implications and I asked about the mood in Ireland. The common people BLAME the EU for the death of the "Celtic Tiger". When I mentioned that the rumors on the internet were that there would be a second vote, they laughed. They said that the people were prepared for that, they have already drawn up the papers and collected the signatures needed to place on the same ballet a recall of the entire Irish government (this has been done in the past) and they are working on the needed paperwork for a referendum to withdraw from the EU all together. The Irish people are particularly angry at the latest budget that cuts benefits for the old, disabled and children and are in no humor to do Dublin any favors, especially a favor that would in effect end their sovereignty. Many are supporters of the grass roots movement in the UK to charge and try those in parliament who signed the Lisbon Treaty with High Treason. They may or may not put this to a second vote, but the results will not only remain a resounding NO, they will have vast implications for the future of the Irish politicians who support the re vote. Many in Dublin forget that the children, nieces, nephews and widows of those who died for an independent nation are still living in Ireland. They seem to forget that the price for a separate nation has not been forgotten and that the people will not surrender it easily.

God bless the Irish. They know a snake when they see one. I would want no part of an organization (EU) that would take me soveriegnty.

Go Irish!