Irish EU vote
July 8, 2009
Irish Prime Minister Brian Cowen, appearing before parliament in Dublin, announced the date for his country's new European Union treaty referendum on Wednesday.
"I recommend to the government that we return to the people to seek their approval for Ireland to ratify the treaty," said Cowen.
The prime minister stressed the concessions that Ireland had won at the EU at a summit in Brussels last month in his endorsement of the treaty.
Ireland was granted assurances that it would retain control over tax policy and family law, as well as maintaining its longtime military neutrality.
"I believe these concerns have been addressed now in the shape of legal guarantees," Cowen told parliament.
About to say yes?
Irish voters threw the Lisbon Treaty approval process into disarray on June 5, 2008, when 54.4 percent cast ballots against it. Next October 2, the result may be different.
Recent polls show the bias of voters for and against the treaty has reversed since the time of last year's referendum.
Moreover, the popular movement which fuelled the 'no' vote campaign, funded by Libertas party founder and millionaire entrepreneur, Declan Ganley, appears to have petered out.
Libertas was dealt a crushing defeat in Ireland's recent European Parliament elections, Ganley announced his withdrawal from politics, and remaining Libertas leaders have since come out in favor of the Lisbon treaty.
Still, Ireland's political classes are not sure they've convinced the voters.
"I would not underestimate the strength of feeling of confusion that is out there. I am not in any way led by opinion polls at this stage which indicate this is just an exercise to be gone through," said Edna Kenny, leader of the opposition Fine Gael party, which supports the treaty.
Fine Gael, along with Prime Minister Brian Cowen's ruling Fianna Fail party, both plan to take the case for Lisbon to the voters more strongly, ahead of the October 2 vote.
mrh/dpa/Reuters
Editor: Chuck Penfold