EU – Baltic States, Legislation

It has been officially confirmed that Ireland will vote for a second time on the European Union’s Lisbon Treaty on October 2 (after the treaty was overwhelmingly rejected at a referendum last year). The Fianna Fáil-led government formally launched the campaign with publication of a white paper explaining the treaty, which aims to modernise the bloc's institutions and give the EU a more effective world role with the appointment of a full-time president, fully fledged EU diplomatic service and more efficient decision-making.

Guarantees

Ireland secured agreement from fellow member states at last month's EU summit on “legally binding” guarantees to ensure Irish control over tax rates, military neutrality and the Irish constitution’s provisions on social and family law – including the right to life. The summit also agreed that the guarantees would be incorporated as a protocol in the future Lisbon Treaty, as happened with other member states’ reservations, e.g. the Danish opt-out in 1992 over Maastricht rules on monetary union.

Both sides’ arguments

Last June 53.4% of Irish voters rejected the treaty, which turned the whole integration process at a standstill. This time an opinion poll in the country suggested that 54 per cent of those who say they intend to vote would back the treaty.

The polls say that the collapse of the economy has turned public towards the treaty, with many voters worried that another rejection would further isolate Ireland.

The Green party, junior partners in the Fianna Fáil-led coalition and traditionally opposed to EU treaties because of the moves to military integration, is to vote at a membership convention on July 18. Last time it failed to secure a necessary two-thirds majority of party membership to unite behind a single policy, leaving it to individual members to decide.

Micheál Martin, minister for foreign affairs who is also head of Fianna Fáil’s campaign, on Wednesday defended the use of public money to finance a postcard mail-shot to 1.9m homes explaining the treaty. Under strict rules governing the conduct of the referendum’s campaign, the government has to present both sides of the argument.

John Murray Brown in his report in Financial Times from Dublin (8.07.09) citing Mr. Martin’s saying: “We’re not promoting any argument here, we’re providing information. There is no advocacy in any material we are sending out on the Lisbon treaty.”

The minister told Irish radio that surveys showed that last time 46 per cent of those who abstained and a similar proportion of those who voted No did so because they did not understand the issues.

The “No” camp led by Sinn Féin, the nationalist party lost one of its main advocates when Declan Ganley, the businessman leader of the eurosceptic Libertas party, failed to get a MEP’s place in the June EP elections and announced that he was quitting politics.

Additional support is needed

Although Ireland is the only EU member state to hold a referendum on Lisbon Treaty three other states have to provide their final confirmation. The treaty has been already ratified previously in 23 member states; only three are in waiting (besides Ireland). Thus, presidents in Poland and the Czech Republic, although they have completed the parliamentary phases of the ratification, are waiting for the outcome of the Irish vote to sign final national decrees. Germany, where the constitutional court approved the treaty last month is awaiting passage of amending domestic legislation and president’s signature.