THE LISBON TREATY

There was a robust reaction to the

last Lisbon result by the EU officials.

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TO THE POLLS - AGAIN

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Once again tomorrow I will join my fellow countrymen and cast my ballot in the referendum on the Lisbon Treaty. That I have done so already over a year ago is of no consequence it seems to my government or to the powers that be in the European Union. The last time the Irish voted to reject this Treaty, much to the political embarrassment of our national leaders who then came under severe pressure from Europe that another referendum was required until the desired result (from their point of view) is obtained. Already the people of Holland and France have rejected the forerunner of Lisbon at the polls while our nearest neighbours, Britain have not yet allowed their people to have their say at a referendum. If this is how democracy operates at EU level it does not bode well for the future, and only confirms my fears that already the European project is getting a little too big for it’s boots and is in danger of turning into another superstate with its own President and Parliament. A union of European countries forging common markets for trade and commerce is one thing but an endeavour to blend them into one big state is , for many a bridge too far. The Lisbon Treaty seems to have been designed to obfuscate and bewilder ordinary citizens and is written in indecipherable Eurocratese making an intelligent appraisal of it almost impossible. Asked last time around to vote for this ’pig-in-a-poke’ Treaty the Irish delivered a resounding NO, but on this occasion if opinion polls are to be believed the outcome of tomorrows ballot will be entirely different. Of course the bad state of our economy is the one variable since the last outing and YES campaigners have effectively frightened voters into the their camp by indicating that a NO vote would spell curtains for our economic recovery. This of course is nonsense as the hard nosed captains of industry and commerce are not usually driven by ideology so much as a desire to turn a profit and get a return on their investments. The fate of this island is yet to be determined but one thing is certain, the Lisbon Treaty will not affect that outcome one way or another.
After the Lisbon result last year the result from Ireland was hailed by ordinary Europeans many of whom were never allowed to express any opinion on the adoption of the Treaty. The London Times enthused
“ Slainte…Toast them in lager, Sancerre, slivovitz or ouzo but this weekend raise a glass to the Irish. Or, at the very least, acknowledge that by voting “no” to the Lisbon treaty the people of the Irish Republic have brought searing clarity to a process hitherto shrouded in jargon and pushed along by the civil servants who invented it.” Another rejection of Lisbon by Ireland will cause ordinary citizens around the Union to rejoice whilst their governments and the Eurocrats will rage, this democracy thing can be a messy business especially when the people are given their say ! So, as Irish Times columnist Vincent Browne advised in his piece during the week, lets repay the people of Europe for their largess over the years by delivering a resounding verdict tomorrow - 'Vote NO and rejoice !'

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Gerard O'Shea