The Point of NO return – Black October ’s Lisbon Treaty

http://blogs.telegraph.co.uk/daniel_hannan/blog/2009/06/21/ireland_will_vote_again_on_an_identical_text

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Ireland will vote again on an identical text

Posted By: Daniel Hannan at Jun 21, 2009 at 12:47:00 [General] Posted in:

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Biffo, Brian Cowen, Irish referendum, Lisbon Treaty, Pro-Treaty Forces, referendum

 

In all the commentary about the “concessions” made to Ireland, the declarations on abortion, militarisation and so on, bear one fact in mind. Not one dot or comma of the European Constitution Lisbon Treaty has been altered.  The slightest emendation would have made it a new treaty, and thus necessitated re-ratification by the other 26 member states. This is an option their governments refused to countenance, for the hypocritical reason that their peoples, too, dislike the accord, and would almost certainly vote “No” in referendums. So, despite all the promises made by Brian Cowen, he is returning to Ireland with exactly the same treaty as before. All he has is a statement by his fellow heads of government – a press release, if you like – which will not form part of the text.

Eurocrats evidently have as low an opinion of the Irish people as Biffo himself has. There has been no attempt to meet “No” voters half way, or even to listen properly to their concerns. On the contrary, the almost universal view in Brussels is that the Irish ought to be bloody grateful to be in the EU at all, and will now abase themselves. Down, down, croppies lie down!

It’s certainly true that the Pro-Treaty Forces are ahead in the polls, and that “No” campaigners fared badly at the recent European election. But I’m not sure it follows that a proud people will meekly roll over. This isn’t just about democracy any more, or about anti-federalism, or about neutrality or fiscal autonomy or embryo research. It’s also about self-respect. As a friend in Dublin put it to me not long ago: “Sure we didn’t fight off the might of the British Empire just so as to be bossed about by the Belgians”.