The Lisbon Treaty debate is starting to heat up once again, the rumblings of the YesNo campaigners and their efforts to persuade us to vote their way are becoming more audible. Even Ryanair’s Micheal O'Leary is getting in on the act before the October 2nd deadline.
All the usual suspects are asking us to vote in the same direction as they requested before, so what has changed since Lisbon I, besides our current financial situation?
According to the official EU Lisbon Treaty website
“The Irish government launched a white paper explaining the changes the Treaty will bring to the functioning of the EU and spelling out the legally binding guarantees and assurances secured by Ireland. This should make the Treaty clearer and easier to understand for the Irish.”
The Irish Government website www.lisbontreaty.ie states, “The Government, after discussions with all EU Member States, has ensured that when the Irish people vote on the Lisbon Treaty later this year, it will come with additional legal guarantees and assurances to address their main concerns.”
The main concern addressed according to the government are as follows:
1. Ireland, and all other Member States, will keep a Commissioner
2. Ireland will remain in control of its own tax rates
3. Irish neutrality will not be affected – no conscription, no defence alliances
4. Ireland retains control of sensitive ethical issues such as abortion
5. Workers’ rights and public services are valued and protected in Ireland and across the EU
The Referendum Commission, which is an independent body, set up by the Referendum Act 1998
has the role of explaining the subject matter of referendum proposals, promoting public awareness of the referendum and encouraging the electorate to vote at the poll.
In a statement on www.lisbontreaty2009.ie Frank Clarke, Chairman of the Referendum Commission said, “We would urge you to see this website as an independent and unbiased account of the Treaty content. It is required by law to be impartial and factual, and that is what it is.
“Our role is to explain what is in the referendum proposal. The role of political parties and campaigning groups is to seek to convince you to vote for or against it. Read our account of the Lisbon Treaty, listen to their arguments, and then decide for yourself which way to vote.”
The Referendum Commission outlines the following points with respect to the pending treaty on October 2nd .
“In the referendum on October 2nd, you are being asked a similar question to that which you were asked in June 2008: Do you want Ireland to ratify the Lisbon Treaty? The Lisbon Treaty itself has not been changed.
“It is noted that some decisions have been made since the June 2008 referendum which change the legal and political context in which this referendum is being held.
“The European Council has made a decision that, if the Lisbon Treaty comes into effect, the European Commission will continue to include a Commissioner nominated by each member state including Ireland.
“The European Council has also made a decision which sets out the effects of the Lisbon Treaty on Irish policy and law in a number of areas: the right to life, family and education; taxation; and security and defence.
“This decision is not part of the Lisbon Treaty, but is contained in a new international treaty which will be legally binding on all 27 member states of the EU. This new international treaty will come into force on the same day as the Lisbon Treaty, if the Lisbon Treaty is ratified by all the member states.
“The European Council has also issued a solemn declaration on social issues including workers’ rights. This is a political statement and is not legally binding.”
What Irish politicians have to say
In an address to the MacGill Summer School Enda Kenny TD[Member of Parliament] said that as leader of Fine Gael [Ireland’s main opposition party] he did not underestimate the scale of the challenges now facing Ireland. “I also know that the Irish people have shown in the past that they can do great things when given a clear vision and a reason to hope ... That’s why a Yes vote to the Lisbon Treaty is essential for this country’s future.”
Fianna Fail’s Micheál Martin TD said, “I strongly believe that ratification is one of the keys to Ireland’s future advancement. A resounding Yes vote would send a strong political message to foreign investors that we are fully committed to the EU. This is the clear, positive message that I hope the people will decide to send on October 2nd.”
The Vote No To Lisbon Campaign have called on Minister for the Environment, John Gormley, to “act immediately to restore balance and fairness in the Lisbon Treaty referendum campaign.”
According to a press statement release by the No Group “companies or individuals can spend
as much as they like promoting their views on the Lisbon Treaty while campaign groups must adhere to strict limits on donations.” They cited US multinational Intel who took out a full page advertisement in the Irish Times to promote a Yes vote.
The Director of the Labour Party’s Lisbon Referendum Campaign, Joe Costello TD, has called on the Minister for the Environment, John Gormley to extend the date for applications for postal voting which was July 15th.
Mr Costello also said that, “The Lisbon Treaty is the most democratic of all the EU Treaties.
It reforms the EU institutions and it invites national parliaments to play an active role in the framing of policy and legislation.” It was also Mr Costello’s view that the main purpose of the Treaty is to enable the enlarged European Union consisting of 27 Member States to function more effectively and more democratically.
“The Lisbon Treaty is essentially about addressing the Democratic Deficit in the EU at present. It is a fundamentally democratic treaty.“
Proinsias De Rossa Labour MEP added to the debate, “The Treaty represents a ‘concrete step forward’ in the campaign to achieve better protections for public services at European level, and is clearly recognised as such by NGOs and trade unions active on this issue for years.”
Sinn Féin Senator, Pearse Doherty, has urged voters to “read the Lisbon Treaty and make up their own minds before voting on October 2nd.”
Sinn Féin Dail leader, Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin, has said that the “consequences of a Yes vote in next month’s Lisbon Treaty referendum will be bad for Ireland economically and politically.”
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