Brussels Insider

Latest

• Working time directive
• Dining out on a budget
• The busy life of an EU trade commissioner
• Climate: UK toes the Brussels line as usual
• Germans get cold feet over climate targets
• Whose Irish eyes will be smiling?
• Lisbon: big guns trained on Ireland
• EU's new £2.5m propaganda drive in US
• Tories show their yellow side

Whose Irish eyes will be smiling?

Monday, 17th November 2008

The Irish government is sparing no effort in manipulating its recalcitrant citizens into voting again on the Lisbon Treaty and this time coming up with the "right" answer.

Frantic negotiations are going on with other EU members that Dublin hopes will tailor the treaty specially for Ireland in such a way that a second referendum will produce a "yes" vote, following the people's rejection of the warmed-over European constitution in June.

The government's soundings, backed up by an Irish Times poll, have revealed that 43% of Irish voters would support the treaty if it were amended to allow Ireland to retain its EU Commissioner and to address the country's concerns over its prized neutrality, its tax policies and public attitudes towards abortion.

Hence the talks with countries that did not allow their populations to have a say. Irish foreign minister Micheál Martin says the negotiations are intensifying as the government prepares to decide whether to risk a second referendum.

The Irish Times poll shows 39% of respondents saying they would vote against the treaty in a new vote, with 18% yet to make up their minds.

This has given heart to the government, which was seriously embarrassed by the decision taken by the Irish people and is now trying to push voters towards changing their minds by presenting the situation as "a crossroads" in terms of Ireland's membership of the EU.

However, opponents of the treaty say merely tinkering with it is unlikely to produce the outcome the government wants, especially in the midst of a financial crisis that has caused some commentators to questions whether Ireland was wise to rush into the single European currency.

Back to Brussels Insider