Main focus of Monday, June 16, 2008

Ireland's No to the EU reform treaty

The rejection of the EU reform treaty in the Irish referendum has plunged the EU into a deep crisis. What were the reasons for the Irish No, how should European politics respond and what does the EU's future look like now?

Süddeutsche Zeitung - Germany

The German daily fears that the Irish No to the EU reform treaty will trigger a process of re-nationalisation in European politics: "When a nation like the Irish, who have benefited more than almost any other nation from the EU, reject the results of a year-long reform debate there can be only one conclusion: the EU is currently incapable of reorganising itself politically. ... Europe will see the re-nationalisation of its politics. ... It is already clear who the losers are: the small and medium-sized countries of the EU. ... Should the need arise, Germany and France together have the necessary clout to defend themselves against Russia's coercive tactics with oil and gas supplies or to influence the situation in the troubled Balkans. ... The Irish vote [has] also caused considerable damage to the EU in terms of its foreign policy. ... An EU in which just one tiny country can hinder large-scale reforms will not be perceived as a reliable partner or taken seriously. ... The Irish had every right to reject the Lisbon Treaty. ... But by the same token they must now answer the question of whether they think they have any future in the EU." (14/06/2008)

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All available articles from » Martin Winter

Le Monde - France

The Irish decision may well represent a chance for Europe, the newspaper writes: "The European Union is incapable of adapting its operating mode to the constant enlargement. But at the same time, the enlargement makes it ever more pressing for Europe to reform her institutions. ... What options are left open for Europeans? ... The Irish No shows that it is impossible to reform the European Union without doing away with the rule of uniformity. But [paradoxically] renouncing that would require a unanimous decision. There is only one way to break out of this vicious circle, and that is to create an avant-garde of priviledged states within the Union that are ready to accept the rules of the qualified majority in order to advance integration. ... This concept presupposes leaders who are convinced that European unity is necessary. If the Irish vote has helped to create this understanding, it was ultimately a chance for Europe." (15/06/2008)

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The Irish Times - Ireland

The Irish entrepreneur Declan Ganley, the driving force behind the No movement, comments on the Irish rejection of the Treaty of Lisbon: "If Europe is to succeed and if it is to have the powers it wants, it must be seen to be legitimate, and true political legitimacy in a democratic society can only come from voters who have been presented with a real choice. I truly believe that European voters want to make a positive choice, in favour of a new Europe, but they can only do that if they can hold the key decision makers to account. ... Most Europeans want to see our Union grow, prosper, and lead, and realise that for this to occur, further and deeper integration between member states is a necessity. Voters, in my view, will accept that. In return, however, they want to be given the chance to have a real input into the direction that a new, more powerful, and more credible Union takes." (16/06/2008)

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All available articles from » Declan Ganley

Jornal de Notícias - Portugal

A unified political Europe is an impossibility, according to the daily Jornal de Notícias: "Europe is accustomed to blockades from minorities, and is once again in a crisis. All it takes is a country with one percent of the European population to reject the Reform Treaty, and no one knows what should become of this purely economic unity which, on top of everything else, is stuck in a crisis. The smallest of minorities can block the will of the majority of Europeans, and we call this a democracy? The truth is, on the contrary, that the Irish were the only ones allowed to vote. And democracy means the power of the people, no matter how few. The funny thing is that the European leaders did not prevent so few people from determining the future of all. Our times are determined by blockades and minorities. Political Europe does not exist, and never did. And the economic and social Europe is a failure." (14/06/2008)

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All available articles from » Paulo Baldaia

Rzeczpospolita - Poland

In an interview published by the Polish daily, Bronisław Geremek, former Polish Foreign Minister and currently MEP for the liberal Democratic Party, speaks out against referendums on the EU Reform Treaty: "To ask citizens whether they accept or reject a 450-page text on complex legal issues is nonsense. This is like asking them whether they accept the penal code. You cannot expect the average citizen to have an informed opinion on these matters. ... In the case of the Lisbon Treaty, a document which was drawn up by the elite, the principle of representative democracy should apply. That means that democratically elected politicians should make the decision about whether to accept it. ... The sociology of politics shows that the elites have often played a decisive role in the past. ... We have a representative system and this is why ratification by the parliaments appears to be the correct solution." (16/06/2008)

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All available articles from » Bronislaw Geremek

SL Õhtuleht - Estonia

"The decision of the Irish must be respected, because they had their own motives for rejecting the Treaty. ... Every member state has the right to its own standpoint." (16/06/2008)

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Elsevier - Netherlands

"The Treaty of Lisbon is not dead, even though it has been rejected by the Irish. It is naive to think that every vote in the European Union has equal weight. The European Union is and will remain an elite project." (16/06/2008)

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Pravda - Slovakia

"We joined the EU, hooray! We ratified the Lisbon Treaty, hooray! We are converting to the euro, triple hooray! Without analyses, without debates. There are no prizes for figuring out what the outcome of a referendum in our country would have been." (16/06/2008)

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All available articles from » Pavol Baboš

Cotidianul - Romania

"With their referendum, the Irish have voted against a document that was meant to simplify the Union and render it more democratic, without harming its sovereignty. Now the solution must come from Ireland." (16/06/2008)

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All available articles from » Laura Cernahoschi

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