Well said.What are you so afraid of michaelm? The No side harp on about losing our commissioner - what they forget to mention is that EVERY SINGLE country is losing a their commissioner for 5 out of every 15 years, not just us - so Germany, France and so on are going to have the exact same as us. As I said, Europe has been good for us since we joined - what evidence have you to suggest that suddenly it will be to our detriment? Why this paranoia that countries will gang up on little old Ireland - and also what evidence have you to suggest that our (already very small) current voting strength could do anything to prevent such a paranoid scenario in the current system if it were to happen? I find it amusing this fear people have that Lisbon is a treaty to get Ireland!!
Look, Germany and France are EU Goliaths, a Commissioner is of much more importance to small states than to large. While loosing our permanent Commissioner, Ireland is halving it's voting strength to 0.8% but Germany more than doubles it's to 17%. Ireland's relative voting strength to Germany's changes from, currently under Nice, around 1/4 to 1/20 under Lisbon. To say it will be exactly the same for Germany and France is at best simplistic in the extreme. Laugh, if you will, at those with concerns about Lisbon but make no mistake that Lisbon is a framework for a federal Europe; if that's what the people want the so be it . . I'll be giving it a big NO thanks, the EU has enough power already and will tick away fine under Nice and previous treaties.. .not just us - so Germany, France and so on are going to have the exact same as us . . I find it amusing this fear people have that Lisbon is a treaty to get Ireland!!
Fear doesn't come into it. It simply a bad deal for Ireland. It should be accepted or rejected on it's merits. It's not a referendum on EU membership. The EU won't fall apart without Lisbon.. .I fail to see any basis for the fear running throughout the No campaign.
The No side harp on about losing our commissioner - what they forget to mention is that EVERY SINGLE country is losing a their commissioner for 5 out of every 15 years, not just us - so Germany, France and so on are going to have the exact same as us.
Good point. Lisbon will make the EU more democratic, not less.It's also worth noting that under Lisbon the EU Parliament gains extra powers of co-decision with the Council on legislation proposed by the Commission.
It may be shared but not professed. Bertie is irrelevant. Brian says he didn't read it but negotiated 95% of it, of course he was actually involved in negotiating the EU Constitution not Lisbon, so given that Lisbon is 95% of the Constitution I suppose Brian's half right. Anyway, roll on June 12th and we'll see what the people say to 'those in the know'.Your simplistic argument that this is a vote between the status quo and the LB is obviously not shared by those in the know.
The referendum commission has done so.And shouldn't the government have provided some sort of explanatory leaflet along these lines by now?
All countries have a vote. They elect their government and that government makes the decision. That's how representative democracy works. Referenda are not a suitable mechanism for deciding such complex matters. This is evident in how elements of the No side have presented utterly spurious reasons for voting against the treaty.i think a no vote would gain us a lot respect from the countries not fortunate enough to have a vote.
The referendum commission has done so.
Didn't get this - did everyone else get one?
Are we talking about the same thing here - a breakdown or bullet point type synopsis of both the YES and NO campaigns?
The treaty is just too complicated to summarise in bullet points
I agree with your point re the referendum itself being an inappropriate mechanism and I agree also with Seagull's post.
That's why a referendum is not the appropriate mechanism to use to accept or reject it.