Lisbon Treaty

Irish Considering Second Vote Next Year

Joe Mathews — Sat, 02 Aug 2008 14:42:00 -0400

The Irish opposed the ratification of the new Lisbon Treaty for the European Union this spring. Now the government, under heavy European pressure, is considering a second referendum for next year. Why would Ireland, the only country to permit its citizens to vote directly on the treaty, change its mind? The carrot seems to be a promise that Ireland would always retain a commissioner on a major EU body. Now, countries temporarily lose their commissioner as membership rotates.

Poll: Irish Oppose Second Referendum

Joe Mathews — Mon, 28 Jul 2008 15:10:00 -0400

The Irish voted down the European Union's Lisbon Treaty last month, 53-47. While European officials have called for another vote, a new poll suggests only 24 percent of Irish voters want such a second ballot. And if there were a second ballot, support for the treaty would reach only 38 percent of the voter.

From Our Foreign Bureaus: Sarko Wants Second Vote, Spain Wants None

Joe Mathews — Wed, 16 Jul 2008 14:01:00 -0400

SARKO SAYS IRISH WILL HAVE TO VOTE AGAIN on Lisbon Treaty. The French president -- and EU president for the next six, very long months -- said this yesterday in Paris. He intends to travel to Ireland to instruct the Irish people in the error of their ways next week.

SPAIN SEEKS TO BLOCK BASQUE VOTE: The Spanish government has filed a lawsuit seeking to block a Basque referendum on autonomy that is seen as a step toward independence. The argument is that under Spain's constitutional, only the federal government may authorize a referendum. The Basque law establishing the referendum took effect yesterday, so even before anyone votes, Spain has a constitutional problem on its hands.

LITHUANIAN MPS SEEK REFERENDUM TO BLOCK EU: The European Union has agreed to the closure of a Soviet-era nuclear power plant that provides much of Lithuania's power. But Lithuania's parliament wants to delay that closure by putting a referendum on the national ballot in October.

WALES TO VOTE? Wales, which has some power to govern itself, is discussing whether and how to permit referenda there. The argument is a bit complicated, but so is the United Kingdom.

MALAWI PRESIDENT THREATENS a referendum if the opposition doesn't stop holding up the budget over a constitutional provision.

Look Out, Ireland. Here Comes Sarko

Joe Mathews — Tue, 15 Jul 2008 15:02:00 -0400

French president, and new EU president, Nicolas Sarkozy has announced a timetable for moving forward with the Lisbon Treaty, a new reform plan for the European Union that Ireland -- the only country to permit its citizens to vote on ratification -- rejected last month. There weren't many details, but from what Sarko said last week, he won't change the treaty and seems to be counting on bullying the Irish into changing their minds. Sarko is traveling to Ireland next week to begin the arm-twisting. Memo to the people of Ireland: French diplomacy is on the way. Brace yourselves.

On a related note, the Irish Times has an interesting piece raising the question of whether a referendum on the Lisbon Treaty was really necessary under Ireland's constitutional. The notion that such a vote was a constitutional requirement has been reported over and over -- including on this blog -- as fact. But the argument of this new piece is that the treaty doesn't have an impact on Irish sovereignty and thus didn't need to be submitted to the people.

Why The Irish Voted No

Joe Mathews — Thu, 10 Jul 2008 11:48:00 -0400

Those who voted no in the June referendum say they didn't have enough information about the Lisbon Treaty and what it would mean for Ireland and the EU, according to the Irish Times. Quintin Oliver, who runs one of Europe's top firms for referenda campaigns, Strategem in Northern Ireland, says here that the yes campaign "didn't sell the future under the Treaty in a positive, simple, coherent, lucid way. They confused it and they looked backwards. They suggested that gratitude to Europe would be enough to secure a 'yes' vote, and that was not the right way." Oliver also argues that the "yes" side did do the extensive focus group and survey work that successful ballot measure campaigns require, whatever their subject or location.

How Irish Referendum Felled Austrian Government

Joe Mathews — Mon, 07 Jul 2008 17:12:00 -0400

If an Irish butterfly flaps its wings, does it start a storm in Austria? Apparently so. Direct democracy is so powerful that a vote in one country can topple governments in others. Austria's coalition government collapsed today, a victim -- at least in part -- of last month's Irish "no" vote on a referendum over the Lisbon Treaty, a back-door new constitution for the European Union.

What's the link? After Ireland, the only one of the 27 EU countries to permit a public referendum on the treaty, voted it down, Austrian Prime Minister Alfred Gusenbauer said that future EU treaties should be subject to referenda there in Austria. The right of center Austrian People's Party, which was part of the Social Democrat Gusenbauer's governing coalition, opposes such referenda and decided -- for this and other reasons -- to leave the government.

Irish "Unrepentant"

Joe Mathews — Mon, 23 Jun 2008 17:04:00 -0400

We Irish so often are.... This column from the Guardian makes a good point. By attacking the irish vote against the Lisbon Treaty and so quickly demanding a new referendum, European Unoin leaders probably have hardended Irish attitudes against the treaty, which represents a backdoor way to impose a new constitution in Europe. A better approach would be to respond to Irish concerns, amend the treaty, and then, humbly, try again.

Ireland: What Went Wrong?

Joe Mathews — Sun, 15 Jun 2008 20:07:00 -0400

That's the question posed by the Irish Times, after the defeat of the LIsbon Treaty in a referendum late this week. It's a big blow to the Irish government, which endorsed it, and to the European Union. It's not at all clear what comes next for the EU. Voters have no rejected a constitution and, in the only one of the 27 countries to permit voters to cast ballots, a treaty to replace the new, failed constitution.

Ironically, the defeat of the Irish referendum will -- at the same time -- limit and boost direct democracy in Europe. The treaty would have provided for the first transnational referenda -- that is, a plebiscite across all the EU countries. Those hopes seem dashed now. But with the Irish rejecting the treaty, Euroskeptics across the continent now have a strong argument for demanding referenda on the treaty in their own countries. The pressure on the UK's politically lead-footed prime minster, Gordon Brown, to permit a vote is likely to grow.

Shhhh.... the Irish Are Voting

Joe Mathews — Thu, 12 Jun 2008 15:36:00 -0400

While Europe watches nervously. Here's an informative Q&A from the Guardian explaining the details.

Today is the day of the Irish referendum on the Lisbon Treaty, the backdoor new constitution -- though it can't be called a new constitution because that would require too many other public votes -- being adopted by the EU. There are 27 countries that signed the treaty. But only in Ireland do the people get to vote on it. So the Irish have outsized power today -- they are the voice of the people of Europe. If they vote the treaty down, they can scuttle the whole thing.

The political leadership of the country supports the treaty. But nationalists think it infringes on sovereignty. And Irish farmers, one of the few industries that the EU hasn't benefited, are leading the charge against it. Polls suggest the treaty is in trouble--the final results are likely to be close.

The Irish Go Silent, For A Day

Joe Mathews — Wed, 11 Jun 2008 18:31:00 -0400

Today, the eve of the Irish vote on the Lisbon Treaty, Irish broadcasters honor tradition by going silent on referendum news for the day. My kingdom for a new American tradition embraced by cable news.