Irish PM defiant as Lisbon campaign launched
Irish Prime Minister Brian Cowen said today he did not contemplate a defeat of the European Union's reform treaty in October's plebiscite, skirting questions on whether his government would survive a "No" vote.
Cowen launched his campaign for a "Yes" in the referendum, focusing on Europe as a safe haven during recession -- a view which is widespread in Ireland, according to the European Commission's latest Eurobarometer survey published today.
But voter dissatisfaction over how Cowen is handling the recession has some analysts worried there could be a protest vote against his administration on Oct. 2 making a "Yes" result more difficult than recent surveys suggest.
Last year, Irish voters rejected the Lisbon treaty, designed to streamline EU decision-making. After winning concessions on key policy areas including neutrality, abortion and retaining an Irish EU commissioner, surveys suggest a majority of people are in favour.
Asked if he would resign if Ireland voted "No" again, Cowen said: "No. I don't contemplate defeat."
Pressed further on whether his political survival was on the line, Cowen said: "It's not about me, ... the survival of the country ... that's what the treaty is about. Political comings and goings, that's something we deal with every other day."
Bookmaker Paddy Power said gamblers were increasingly betting on a "Yes" vote and cut the odds on a successful passage of the charter to 1/10 from 1/7.
The treaty, which is designed to give the EU a greater voice in world affairs, cannot take effect until it is ratified by all 27 members. The presidents of Poland and the Czech Republic have said they will wait for an Irish "Yes" before they approve it.
Yesterday, Irish Foreign Minister Micheal Martin said feedback his party had received showed voters were increasingly supportive of the treaty but that trend was still fragile and could turn around.
The Eurobarometer poll did not support Dublin's claim however that there was a high level of understanding of the Lisbon treaty among Irish voters, who cited lack of information as a key reason for rejecting it in 2008.
Only 40 percent of respondents said they understood how the EU worked, putting Ireland close to the bottom of the ranking of the 27 EU member states which all conducted the same survey.
"This suggests ... that the cognitive underpinnings of Irish attitudes to the EU may be weak, especially in the context of Ireland's commitment to holding referendums on EU treaty changes," the Commission said. The Commission said that participants whose understanding of the EU was weakest tended to have a more negative image of the union.
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Trevor Lorenzo Mizzi
Sep 3rd 2009, 13:21
@ r ferriggi ,
Why not out of the EU, we can survive without the EU.
At least we will still have a nation that we can recognize as Malta in 60 years or so.
Right now Malta has been sold and bought by EU fiat currency to be turned into a depot for the african muslim invasion of greater europe.
I would not put any heed in the PL vs PN play, they all get their marching orders from the same puppet master.
C.Agius
Sep 3rd 2009, 09:26
More power to the EU - less power to Maltese parliament - exactly what our boys are up to - this will exclude them from their responsabilities and any new taxes/laws will be blamed on the EU - so it won't be the local government to blame - hope to stay within the EU but having our own constitution - the one we are able to vote for. We are being led by our noses and other nations taking the decisions for us.
r ferriggi
Sep 3rd 2009, 08:46
to Trevor Mizzi
but is it possible that you are still in any way contempleting malta OUT of the EU??
am i saying th EU is a prfect haven?? not at all!!!
but,,,, EVEN now that we are in the EU,,, and all the funds that we got,,,, can you imagine the effects of us being out during this recession ??
God forbid.
but is it possible that you still cannot come round to this line of reason??
i did not really want to mention this,,, but even the PL,,,, has understood the importance of being part of this union ( we hear many if,,,buts,,, etc) but go ask Joseph to take us out of EU!!
not in a thousand years,,, why?? because it is against ALL common sense to ''swim by yourself''. all the dreaming of doing it alone is just that.
Marisa Galea
Sep 3rd 2009, 07:06
Michael Seychell & Mark Galea
Do you know what the Lisbon Treaty is all about ? Have you read any parts of it ?
We want Educated Citizens who should READ and be aware of what they are ratifying and NOT Media and Propaganda.
Do u know most Europeans Citizens didn't even have a chance to vote YES OR NO (their governments simply ratified it without a referendum - like Malta) with the majority of citizens having not the slightest idea of what it is about. Ratified in ignorance.
In the simplest terms It is about Centralision of Political Power to the EU, and less power to the Nation States and the Citizens. It''s major advantage is that it gives the EU more Stability and thus more Power on an international Scale.
Now this is coming from someone who is very Eurocentric, I like a Europeanised Malta, I am all for One Europe, European Identity, EU, Europe of the Nations, European People's etc etc, but A Europe where power is Never Centralised in the hands of a few who decide for us. The EU should work on a Direct Democratic Level. Citizen FIRST !!!
Nigel Lawrence
Sep 3rd 2009, 05:51
Malta and the Maltese will NEVER be equals in the EU, so it makes no difference at all if the Lisbon treaty is passed, or not.
Antoine Vella
Sep 3rd 2009, 00:20
Igalea
"May the Irish . . . . . send . . . . the eu to the dustbin of history where they both belong"
Do you realise that, as Malta is irrevocably part of the EU, it would end up in the dustbin as well? No thank you. Malta has already been in the dustbin once (1971-1987) and nobody looks forward to it again.
Alexander Morana
Sep 2nd 2009, 22:17
I hope the Irish vote NO after gazzling 10 pints!
I wonder how, James Joyce,
Edmund Develiera,
George Bernard Shaw,
Frank MaCourt, Collins, the Rebel......would have voted?
Trevor Lorenzo Mizzi
Sep 2nd 2009, 22:16
They will keep having elections on this till they get what they are after, a yes vote majority.
There is nothing democratic about this technique.
Malta spent 164 years under colonial British rule and now we are under the colonial rule of the revived Holy Roman Empire(EU), ie: the Vatican.
Malta needs to leave the EU if it wants to control its destiny.
Mark Galea
Sep 2nd 2009, 21:59
@lgalea
As usual - your CNI ideas keep you back 30 years, following fallen leaders.
Alex Spiteri
Sep 2nd 2009, 21:20
re-scheduling another referendum simply shows the true colours of the EU-SSR. instead of accepting a democratic message of the previous referendum, they are calling another one and intensifying their propaganda for a yes vote.
and lets not forget that the lisbon treaty (formely known as the EU constitution) was already rejected by the french and dutch in other referendums!
EU democracy...i think not!
edward bartolo
Sep 2nd 2009, 21:00
My concern about the EU is: Do we, the humble lower strata of society, count as citizens of the union, because apparently, we do not count!
Sorry, but I am still seeing the EU as the "Common Market" and nothing more than that. At one point it states that the EU believes in the ideal of market competition, and at the same time, it taxes all external competitors to block them out of competition! The result is obviously higher prices for the customer.
Michael Seychell
Sep 2nd 2009, 20:44
To Igalea - May your wish remain just a wish for the sake of the European and Maltese workers. You should keep in mind that even your own Party and its Leader have stated that now there is no going back on the EU issue. Michael Seychell
lgalea
Sep 2nd 2009, 20:13
May the Irish save us and Europe from the eu dictatorship by again voting NO to the Lisbon Treaty and send it and the eu to the dustbin of history where they both belong