Republican News · Thursday 24 January 2002

Irish people's Nice veto should be respected

Speaking at a debate in Brussels on Monday, Aengus Ó Snodaigh, Sinn Féin's representative to the National Forum on Europe said that Ireland's No vote must be respected.

Fine Gael's John Bruton, Fianna Fáil's Brian Crowley and the Green Party's Patricia McKenna also participated in the debate, hosted by the Friends of Europe and titled: 'What does the Irish Referendum No mean to the Convention'.

"The question most asked by the Yes campaign is why would the Irish electorate turn its back on Europe," said Ó Snodaigh.

"The answer is we didn't. Despite the treaty being represented as a treaty for enlargement, the Irish electorate clearly understood it wasn't solely that.

By voting No, we were saying enough is enough. We were calling a halt to the headlong rush towards a federation or a two-tier Europe, when some of the basic problems and the flaws of the European Union were not being addressed.

The Irish people did not reject enlargement; we in fact agreed to it under the Amsterdam Treaty. We are in fact encouraging that enlargement proceed but on an equal basis with existing EU countries. We are seeking a return to the vision of an Europe of equals.

"The rejection of the people's No vote is further demonstration of the democratic deficit. The democratic wishes (their veto) of the Irish people are not being respected. Democracy determines that you cannot change the rules because you lose the game.

"The Irish government and the European Parliament, the European Commission and the European Council of Minister must respect the Irish people's decision to reject the Nice Treaty.

"If they wish to proceed with enlargement, they should do so under the present EU treaties, even if it ends up as a series of complicated and intricate treaties. That is the challenge of modern democracy. Yes it would be a formidable task, but one which the bureaucrats and drafters in the Commission excel in. We would be already along that road if the Nice Treaty result was respected.

"A partnership of equals is our vision of Europe, and I believe is the vision of most of the peoples of Europe including the applicant countries. We have a chance to build that Europe thanks to the foresight of the Irish people and this can be done through the Convention or outside the Convention.

"Why the rush? It has taken centuries to come to this. Why destroy the project by rushing to suit a few power-hungry politicians and bureaucrats? Consulting with the people (democracy) may be slower - but the population of Europe would feel ownership of the project and may embrace it instead of being turned of by it or totally oblivious to it.

"Democratising Europe is the task ahead of us."

No side must get EU representative

Two persons representing the Oireachtas must be nominated to the Convention on the Future of Europe by Friday of next week, 1 February, says anti-Nice campaigner and secretary of The National Platform, Anthony Coughlan. Two alternates must also be nominated.

As well as the Dáil's two representatives on the Convention, plus alternates, the government will have its own representative and alternate. There will thus be three representatives in all, plus three alternates. Denmark's government has agreed that one of the two representatives from the Danish Parliament should be from the EU-critical parties there, in view of the fact that anti-Euro-Federalist opinion is so strong in Denmark.

"In view of Ireland's No vote to the Nice Treaty, the government should propose likewise that one TD from the No side parties on Nice should be nominated by the Dáil, who should have an alternate from outside the Dáil, as is permitted by the Convention rules," says Coughlan. "Only by acting in this way can there be proper democratic representation of Irish opinion on the future of Europe in the Convention that will start its work on considering the next EU Constitutional Treaty on 1 March, under the chairmanship of former French President, Valery Giscard d'Estaing.

"The No side on Nice should be represented as well as the Yes side, if Ireland is to make a meaningful contribution to the Convention. This Convention on the future of Europe is going to be hugely important for everyone in Ireland."