23rd Jun 2008
Time to leave the gravy train
Am speaking at a conference on lobbying in Europe today and have been researching the reaction to the Lisbon Referendum and how that might impact on the nation’s influence in Europe.
Scanning the news coverage and commentary from across the EU things are not good for Ireland. With the sole exception of the notoriously eurosceptic Czech president, the other 25 premiers left Brian Cowen in no doubt as to how determined they were to progress with ratification.
The no campaign are on a roll. Republican blogs are proclaiming the nation’s blow to European imperialism and making no bones about the fact that their ultimate goal is to hold back the tide of European integration by painting the EU as some monstrous superstate not a collection of sovereign ones. It’s all a bit ironic given the potential to use the EU to push a united Ireland agenda.
Couple of pieces on You Tube sum it all up. First the Apre Match boys then a video from someone on the no side with their take on things.
Conall
I’m as pro-european as the next person, but do you not get the impression that this is a case of the EU reaping what it has sown.
My feelings are that the political elites were oblivious to a growing feeling that people are wary of tipping a balance beyond a point of no return into a full European super state.
Asking Ireland to re-run would be a disaster and an affront to democracy. Anyone who did would display little understanding of how pig-headed the irish could be.
I agree the institutions need reforming to cope with more members, but the drawing board needs to come out again!
Free Europe? Vote YES or NO at http://www.FreeEurope.info …