Writing on the wall: A woman walks past graffiti in Dublin, yesterday. Irish voters rejected the European Union's new reform treaty in a crunch referendum which threatens to plunge the bloc into a fresh period of institutional crisis, forecasts indicated yesterday. Picture: AFP
Saturday, June 14, 2008
IRISH voters dealt a stunning blow to Europe's grand reform plans yesterday by rejecting a new EU treaty, nearly complete results showed, plunging the bloc into a fresh period of institutional crisis.
With 38 of 43 constituencies counted after a referendum Thursday, 53.7 per cent of voters had rejected the Lisbon Treaty, designed to replace the EU constitution after it was torpedoed by French and Dutch voters three years ago.
"The Lisbon treaty is finished," said Sinn Fein leader Gerry Adams, whose Republican movement was the only one in parliament to campaign against the EU treaty. "It looks like this will be a 'no' vote," admitted Justice Minister Dermot Ahern, calling the vote "disappointing" but conceding: "For a myriad of reasons, the people have spoken."
Opponents of the treaty were cautiously celebrating, as results rolled in from across the country. "It is a great and proud day to be an Irishman and a European. It is a great day for democracy," said Irish tycoon Declan Ganley, who been a key figure in the "no" campaign ahead of Thursday's poll.
Ireland's roughly three million voters effectively held the future direction of the entire EU — population nearly 500 million — in their hands as the Lisbon Treaty needs approval by all 27 EU member states. Rejection leaves the EU — whose leaders meet for a summit in Brussels next week — facing a new crisis like that which followed the 2005 Franco-Dutch snub to the EU constitution.
France's European affairs minister Jean-Pierre Jouyet said the EU could negotiate a "legal arrangement" with Ireland to avert a crisis if the Irish 'no' vote were confirmed as winner. "The most important thing is that the ratification process must continue in the other countries and then we shall see with the Irish what arrangement could be found," the minister said.AFP
With 38 of 43 constituencies counted after a referendum Thursday, 53.7 per cent of voters had rejected the Lisbon Treaty, designed to replace the EU constitution after it was torpedoed by French and Dutch voters three years ago.
"The Lisbon treaty is finished," said Sinn Fein leader Gerry Adams, whose Republican movement was the only one in parliament to campaign against the EU treaty. "It looks like this will be a 'no' vote," admitted Justice Minister Dermot Ahern, calling the vote "disappointing" but conceding: "For a myriad of reasons, the people have spoken."
Opponents of the treaty were cautiously celebrating, as results rolled in from across the country. "It is a great and proud day to be an Irishman and a European. It is a great day for democracy," said Irish tycoon Declan Ganley, who been a key figure in the "no" campaign ahead of Thursday's poll.
Ireland's roughly three million voters effectively held the future direction of the entire EU — population nearly 500 million — in their hands as the Lisbon Treaty needs approval by all 27 EU member states. Rejection leaves the EU — whose leaders meet for a summit in Brussels next week — facing a new crisis like that which followed the 2005 Franco-Dutch snub to the EU constitution.
France's European affairs minister Jean-Pierre Jouyet said the EU could negotiate a "legal arrangement" with Ireland to avert a crisis if the Irish 'no' vote were confirmed as winner. "The most important thing is that the ratification process must continue in the other countries and then we shall see with the Irish what arrangement could be found," the minister said.AFP