To be perfectly frank I don’t think the NO vote was a success of the NO campaign, but more a failure of the YES campaign.
I agree to an extent Michele. While the Yes Campaign failed to engage voters, the No Campaign was cleverly able to play upon their fears. Some of it was outlandish – Jim Corr and Coir – but others like Libertas were clever in their messaging, such as continually asking whether yes campaigners had read the text of the treaty.
Some call this a “triumph of democracy.” Sorry, this is utter poppycock! This is a minority of EU citizens in Ireland that have deprived that 18 other Member states of a treaty the ratified…The Irish deciding what treaties the Europe can and cannot have is the most undemocratic – and tyrannical practice there is… We should hope that Sarkozy and other European leaders go on with the radification process, as the Lisbon Treaty is needed for Europe, and 18 Member States have voted for it.
Also, I, for one, would like to find out just who funded the “no” campaigners. The rest of Europe should be able to find out if the “no” campaign received funding from foreign sources, chiefly from the western side of the Atlantic. There are those in America that found the Lisbon Treaty a threat to the Atlantic Alliance and the “special relationship” between the US and UK.
A “no” vote against the Lisbon Treaty is a “yes” vote for the continuance of American dominance in Europe!
Thanks a lot for this blog article. I’m still trying to figure out why the Irish did what they did to the rest of us and this article at least helped a bit. I still don’t understand why anybody would take on to vote – and votes no – if he didn’t understand what the election was all about instead of reading some newspaper article in the first place. But then I don’t understand why the message “If you want to change the EU, vote for the European Parliament, but give it some power first with Lisbon first” was so hard to convey either.
The Yes campaign could not but offer platitudes – otherwise, they’d have to discuss the meat of the treaty, which clearly transforms the EU into a federal state, thus diminishing the sovereignty of member states. While you might prefer that (although you won’t publicly admit it), many Irish people don’t.
Hmm shades of Jim Corr me thinks.
Piaras, its a bit too easy to tar the no side with the jim corr brush. Paddy’s point is simply made and hardly 9/11esque.
I am also amused by the people who say that the no side didnt win it was the yes side that lost. Thats a brilliant sentiment. heard similar statements that Obama didn’t win the nomination hillary lost it.
Jer – The Jim Corr comment is directed at Paddy due to his tone.
Also if you read both most posts you’ll see that I am complimentary to the No Campaign, think it was really well run and despite the questions being raised about Libertas’ funding I also think their participation was great for democracy in general. However, it is a valid to say that the Yes Campaign was not well run and contributed to their failure to win the referendum.
The bigger issue out of all of this really is that a second referendum is going to be coming down the line in the next nine months. Even people who voted yes are wondering about the democratic aspects of it seeing as the electorate have already made their feelings known.
I read the lisbon treaty. It required reading the previous ‘constitution’ for reference.
I voted no. And most likely will have to vote again.
To all who will be voting yes in the re-run of the Lisbon Treaty vote, please realise that you will be voting on the EXACT same text and the treaty will not change one bit.
You will receive some “solemn political promises” which effectively count for nothing as they are not legally binding, they are declarations and not protocol – google the difference if your not sure.
Protocol: Protocols are attached to the various Treaties and have exactly the same legal status as the Treaty itself. They usually relate to one particular aspect of Union activity.
Declaration: A declaration by all Member States or by some may be made in conjunction with a Treaty. This does not have legal force, but expresses the political intention of the signatory/signatories.
Is it disingenuous of our government to attempt to mislead the Irish public that the ‘concessions’ gained from Brussels are legally binding? I certainly think so.
VOTE NO for the germans and for every folks in europe that was not given a chance to decide. NO MEANS NO! god bless..