Ireland to Hold New EU Treaty Vote, Wins Guarantees

[muriel_volestrangler]

Source: Bloomberg

Ireland will hold a second referendum on the stalled European Union governing treaty next year, pointing the way out of the 27-nation bloc’s institutional gridlock, according to a draft EU proposal.

The EU will guarantee that Ireland keeps a representative on the European Commission in exchange for an Irish promise to hold a new referendum with the aim of reversing last June’s veto, says the proposal, to be discussed at an EU summit today in Brussels.

“It’s important to Irish society and to future generations that we make the right decision now in terms of retaining an active, influential role at the heart of the European Union,” Irish Foreign Minister Micheal Martin told RTE Radio today.

Ireland’s rejection put the treaty on ice because all EU countries have to ratify it. The treaty would create the post of permanent president and streamline the bloc’s decision-making machinery, with the goal of upping the EU’s global clout.

Read more: http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601102&sid=aldJoi6eVmv8&refer=uk

---

I'm not sure what to think of this - while I thought the reasons that the Irish people generally gave for rejecting the treaty the first time weren't really substantial enough (there was talk about them not being able to maintain their neutrality, or their opposition to abortion, despite specific guarantees that they could), this rather smacks of repeating the question louder and slower, in the hope that they'll understand it better this time. I tend to think electorates should be assumed to have understood what they were voting on, even if my private suspicion was that they hadn't.

[Hope And Change]

1. I hope it passes this time.

[CountAllVotes]

2. the "Lisbon Treaty" will pass

when hell freezes over.

Mark my words on this one.

If the Irish people don't want something, they don't sell themselves out and do it anyway unlike some countries I can think of. :eyes:

:dem:

[muriel_volestrangler]

3. There were the referenda on the Nice Treaty, though

Rejected in 2001, accepted in 2002: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/2332745.stm

[robcon]

4. They're still trying to peddle the 800 page EU "constitution"?

Awful.

[shayod]

5. Ah Go On!!!

The Gov is using the Father Ted approach to getting the answer they want to the referendum: "Ah go on, go on, go on - You will, you will, you will"!!!!! Whilst I didn't agree with the "No" vote and the misleading messages and downright lies put out by those who advocated it, the peoples' decision should be sacrosanct. As someone who would have voted "yes" the last time, I will be voting "no" this time for that reason alone. Where does this Government get off telling the people how we should, or shouldn't vote?

[robcon]

6. Reminds me of the Parti Quebecois and Quebec sovereignty.

Kept holding referendum after referendum in hopes to get the answer they wanted - which never happened.