New year, new Europe? (3/1/08)

 

Ireland begins a year which will determine the extent and direction of our relationship with Europe. We will be the only EU member state to hold a referendum (expected to be before the summer) on the Reform Treaty signed in Lisbon last month. All of Europe will look to see the result, which will largely determine whether or not the treaty can be ratified. Within Ireland, Sinn Féin are probably the most outspoken activists calling for a ‘No’ vote, along with Independent MEP Kathy Sinnott and former Green MEP Patricia McKenna. They claim the treaty represents a dilution of Ireland’s authority within Europe, a lessening of democracy between the member states, and a reduction of Ireland’s cherished neutrality.

Sinn Féin claims, for example, that Ireland’s participation in the forthcoming humanitarian mission in Chad represents the first of many ‘EU battle group adventures abroad’. For some, this ominous threat to Ireland’s neutrality will seem more concrete this week, as 100 Irish troops go on standby to take part in the 2,600 strong Nordic battle group, ready to be deployed to emergency or trouble spots around the globe. Defence Minister Willie O’Dea has asserted by way of reassurance that ‘They might never be called’, but this hardly changes the fact that Ireland is now part of an EU battle group.
Also this week, Sinn Féin has cited the EU threat of tax harmonisation, which would see the end of Ireland’s advantageous 12.5% corporate tax rate, as a reason to vote ‘No’. It’s clear that the party intends to make substantial use of this danger, in contrast with the Taoiseach’s approach which has been to play down any real likelihood of Ireland’s tax rate being interfered with. It has been reported that thanks to lobbying by EU Commissioner Charlie McCreevy, EU discussions on tax harmonisation have been temporarily shelved, to avoid any ‘negative publicity’ or scaremongering ahead of the Irish referendum.
The ‘No’ campaign will have to try and distance itself from European extremists, including French far-right leader Jean Marie Le Pen, who have pledged to come to Ireland over the coming months to lobby against the treaty. If anything, these elements are likely to help the ‘Yes’ campaign by alienating anyone who doesn’t share their xenophobic views.
Proponents of the treaty say it will increase the effectiveness of the EU institutions, and enhance cooperation between member states. They claim that far from diluting our sovereignty, the treaty will allow Ireland a greater say in Europe by increasing the power of the European Parliament and setting up a scheme for direct citizen participation.
It will be interesting to see if the Green Party decides to follow its two ministers and coalition partners and lobby in favour of the Reform Treaty, or stick to its pre-election position and oppose it, as it has opposed every other EU referendum treaty. A decision to support the government’s position may well be seen as a further compromise to the Green’s credibility, already damaged by such projects as the M3 motorway and the Poolbeg incinerator.An opinion poll published in the Irish Times last November showed that 62% of Irish people don’t know how they will vote in the referendum, 25% will vote ‘Yes’ and 13% ‘No’. The government campaign will step up over the coming month to try and work on the two-thirds of ‘don’t knows’ in the hopes of avoiding a repeat of the Nice fiasco of 2001. For so many Irish people, the EU is associated only with farm and fishing subsidies, tedious protocol, confusing and sometimes ludicrous bureaucracy. Above all, it is perceived as a vague and distant, if benevolent entity in Brussels that has little relevance to Irish life except as a sinecure for Irish politicians. Although Irish people appreciate the enormous financial benefits of EU membership, there is little understanding of how Ireland fits into the institutions, or what the Reform Treaty will mean for us. President of the European Parliament Hans Gert Pottering said in September that he is confident and optimistic of the Irish government’s ability to win the people’s support for the treaty. But the people are increasingly unimpressed with this government, and Fianna Fáil will have to distance its referendum campaign from the long-running saga of the Taoiseach’s finances if it is to avoid anti-government votes, especially since further embarrassing revelations concerning Bertie Ahern’s irregular relationship with cash are hinted at in the New Year’s edition of the Mahon Tribunal. The Taoiseach’s appearance on the Late Late Show last Friday to celebrate Westlife’s tenth anniversary, his back-slapping matches with son-in-law Nicky, even the presence of sleeping grandsons Rocco and Jay in the audience, seemed very like an attempt to offset to a perceived discomfort with his performance at the planning enquiry.
Meanwhile, the wider EU efforts to persuade Ireland to vote ‘Yes’ will be under the stewardship of Slovenia, who assumed EU presidency at midnight on January 1st. It’s the first of the so-called accession states (those that joined the EU after 2000) to do so, and is expected to focus on advancing talks for the accession of fellow Balkan states Macedonia and Croatia. Slovenian Secretary of State Janez Lenarèiè has warned Ireland that it’s crucial for Europe that the referendum is passed here, because he said unlike the Nice Treaty which Ireland ratified the second time round, ‘We don’t have any Plan B this time.’
At home, the dark economic predictions may or may not affect how Irish people will vote in the referendum…But more than other factor, it will be up to the media over the coming months to inform the public about the implications of the Reform Treaty, to debate its merits and disadvantages and to provoke people into making up their own minds. As a fledgling reporter on EU matters, I am among the two-thirds of the Irish public whose European education is just beginning.