Lisbon’s second chance

What is undisputable is that Irish voters largely regard the vote in terms of what is best for Ireland — domestic issues and considerations are dominating the debate. The Irish economy, after an unprecedented run of robust performance over the last 15 years, is now in the gutter. The country’s banks collapsed after the Irish housing bubble (even worse than the American one) popped and the banks were left holding outrageous loans to property developers.

The four largest parties in Dáil Éireann (the Irish parliament) are supporting the treaty, though that could actually be a curse for the pro-treaty side since the long-ruling Fianna Fáil party’s popularity rating is below that of South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford thanks to extensive ties to those hated property developers and banks. They are so unpopular that many commentators have speculated that the government coalition should have come out against the treaty in order ensure its passage. The “no” vote has its own advocate problems, many of whom resemble the “birthers,” like former pop star Jim Corr and the far-right U.K. Independence Party.

Ireland is at a crossroads in its relationship with Europe in that it clearly has benefited from its relationship in the European single market, where it sold software and pharmaceuticals to the mainland, yet it might become marginalized in a Europe with more majoritarian voting (some of these fears have been exaggerated on the “no” vote). On the other hand, if Ireland were to reject the treaty, it might be left behind in a Europe that continues to integrate without it. According to The Guardian, some Irish politicians are contemplating a nightmare scenario where they are stuck on the outside of a Europe under the sphere of a Tory-lead British government — the Conservative Party has said it will hold a referendum on the treaty if it wins the next election.

It’s obvious the EU has serious problems with democratic accountability, mostly because it seems to have little regard for what its citizens want. Ireland is the only country holding a referendum on the issue, because other governments were unwilling to put the vote to the people (Ireland’s Supreme Court mandated it). The Lisbon Treaty itself is a runaround of the previously proposed EU constitution that failed when French and Dutch voters rejected it in a referendum. Frankly, you could drive a fleet of Alfa Romeos through the gulf between EU politicians’ opinions on Europe and the broader electorate in member-states. Then again, you can sell a lot of Alfa Romeos with a united Europe.

The views expressed in this blog do not represent the views or opinions of Generations United.