Referendum in Ireland

A good day for Europe

On 2nd of October 2009, Ireland proved to the rest of Europe that is it on track towards the new Europe, one made of a European Union with a President, as the Lisbon Treaty proposes it. If Czech Republic will ratify the treaty as well, then we will face a stronger Europe, a more federal constituted European Union, as envisages by the Lisbon Treaty, follower of the now dead Constitutional treaty


By ROXANA CIUPARIU (roxana.ciupariu@wavemagazine.net)
from Bucharest, ROMANIA


After the Constitutional Treaty was brought to an end by the Dutch and French "NO" votes, its place was taken by the Lisbon Treaty that was fundamentally a reiteration of what was previously presented in the Constitutional Treaty, but with some changes and it is all explained in a clearer manner than in the previous treaty.

At the level of the Union it is general rule that no treaty can enter into force without being ratified by all member states, and by saying ALL, it actually means that one single NO will simply put an end to the document, while taking time to ratify it simply means that the entire treaty is put on a hold for an indefinite time (as it happened with Germany and the Lisbon Treaty; they finally ratified the treaty in September 2009, after a 15-month hold).

Ireland was the only member state which decided to take a referendum on the Lisbon Treaty in 2008, due to the 1987 Supreme Court decision stating that any significant amendment of any of the treaties at the level of the Union (European Communities at the time) will affect the Irish Constitution, hence any potential change brought to the constitution has to be approved first by a referendum. Therefore, the world waited for the results on the Irish referendum #1 in June 2008. 53.4% voted against the Treaty and 46.6% in favour.

An entire Europe was shocked and they saw the project as lifeless. A week later, the Eurobarometer underwent a research trying to find out the answer to why such an outcome was possible. The result showed as top three reasons for the refusal of the Lisbon Treaty: the lack of understanding of the whole point of the referendum, being too busy to pay importance to it along with the lack of information about what was the Lisbon treaty all about.

2009 and the change of mentality

As the Eurobarometer and other related polls and researches concluded, the major problem with the first referendum was a lack of information combined with disinterest on the topic in question. However, with the 2008 financial crisis, things looked different for the entire Europe, and, particularly for the "Irish tiger" which was pretty shuttered. Irish Newspapers were in abundance of complains and articles about the high level of unemployment, how bad it is, and people were crying on the streets asking Europe to do something for them. But, as the Irish Prime Minister and the Irish people shortly realized, it is not that easy, nor fair, to ask for Europe to do something, since they "turned back" to it in an important moment. Hence, a new way of thinking emerged, and it was more Pro-EU.

As a poll in Angus Reid Global Monitor from January 2009 presented it, most Irish were now in favour of the treaty and it showed that in case of a second referendum they would vote "YES" for sure. The economical crisis had finally one single good effect: it warmed the heart of Irish people, as France 24 newspaper presented it.

On the 2nd of October 2009 a new referendum was held and Irish people voted "YES" with 67%. The Prime Minister of Ireland, Brian Cowen praised a "clear and resounding" endorsement, according to BBC news, while Mr. Jose Manuel Barosso, President of the European Commission and quite a big favourite for the role as President of the European Union (in case the Lisbon Treaty enters into force), praised the vote as a good day for Europe. "Today is a good day for Europe," said also Swedish Prime Minister Fredrik Reinfeldt, as quoted by The Local, Sweden's English newspaper.

With Ireland, the primary obstacle towards ratifying the EU Lisbon treaty is gone, the only question mark and doubt remains about the Euro-sceptic head of state of the Czech Republic. What will he choose to do we are still left to see, now that the main hand that was able to kill the Treaty, has decided to spare it.


(Published: 11.10.2009.)