In Ireland, the failure of the referendum was a crushing blow to most of the Irish establishment, including the major political parties and most business groups, which had worked for a yes vote.
But campaigners for a no vote mobilized under the efficient leadership of Declan Ganley, a businessman who argued that the treaty took power away from Ireland.
Ganley, who formed the group Libertas to campaign against the treaty, said that the vote would force the Irish prime minister, Brian Cowen, to renegotiate the treaty and secure a “better deal.”
“We want a Europe that is more democratic, and that if there is to be a president and a foreign affairs minister, they should be elected,” he said in an interview.
I know that in the US you sometimes consider ‘inside the Beltway’ to be a foreign country. You should try Strasbourg/Brussels! At least most of you know who your congressman and senator are. Here we have MEPs who are elected in batches for vast regions – we never hear of them before election time and we never hear of them afterwards. It is also the maximum gravy train. They have been found out recently, for example, feeding contracts to family firms; travelling economy and billing for first class; employing family members as staffers at inflated salaries (sometimes for doing no work). Not only that, but the whole thing is so unaccountable. If Condi Rice has a foreign policy that is considered idiotic it will be blazed on the media in the US. Now imagine someone speaking foreign policy doublespeak in the EU – that would have to be reported in 20-30 languages across two dozen countries. No chance. Ditto for every other policy. Most of all though the European Union is loathed for insisting on detailed laws which are imposed without the national parliaments having any say on them, and this affects things as bizarrely different as barometers (which now may not contain lead) and abattoirs (which have regulations imposed on them which closed down most of our perfectly safe local abbatoirs and meant that only the really big ones could operate). The US equivalent would be if Congress legislated for many things that at present your state legislatures take care of. According to the principle of subsidiarity, those closest to the work place usually know best. In the EU they believe the opposite and loftily legislate for us.
I have to admit that in many ways the EU has been a great success. Consider how war between France and Germany is now unthinkable. Consider the ease with which we travel across our continent. Consider the success of the Euro. If only they would stop there. But alas, there is a political nomenklatura (those who are on the make) and they increasingly serve only their own interests. There is also a terrifying political correctness – an Italian EU minister was grilled on his views about gay rights because they were troubled by the fact that he was a faithful Catholic. The European parliament then voted not to ratify his appointment. The people of Ireland deserve another vote – a vote of thanks from the rest of us.
There was no way the EU was ever going to work except as a corrupt dictatorship of bureaucratic elites.
#2 – sadly, you are right. When the people vote their mind, they are made to vote again until the Right Answer is given.
It stinks throughout.
For as long and hard as Ireland fought for her right to self-rule and independance, I can see why they would vote “no” on this issue.
Ireland has already saved the world once, perhaps it has done so again.
Don