Opinion & Analysis

Ireland's Yes allows treaty face final Czech hurdle6 Oct 2009ANALYSIS: Our approval of Lisbon may have saved more than just the treaty – perhaps the entire EU, writes GAVIN BARRETT
Blair's rebirth as a player in European politics not a done deal6 Oct 2009EUROPEAN DIARY: WILL TONY Blair rise phoenix-like from the ashes of the Iraq war to become the first president of the European Council? This is the question on everybody’s lips in Brussels, where personality politics have quickly taken hold following Ireland’s Yes vote on the Lisbon Treaty, writes JAMIE SMYTH
High calibre commissioner is key to restoring our goodwill in EU5 Oct 2009ANALYSIS: The Government should quickly propose the new Irish EU commissioner and begin lobbying for a good post, which can help rebrand Ireland, writes JAMIE SMYTH , European Correspondent in Brussels
Economic adversity a key player for Yes campaign5 Oct 2009ANALYSIS: Persuasion rather than bullying paid off for the winning side this time, writes DEAGLÁN de BRÉADÚN , Political Correspondent
World's media circus moves on having come to Ireland's big top to hear the lion roar No5 Oct 2009Failure often makes a better story than success. The Yes vote sends hacks back home without a doomsday yarn, writes KATHY SHERIDAN
Yes! Oh Yes! And cue the music as all and sundry blow their own trumpets5 Oct 2009Most political parties danced themselves dizzy with Civil Society as the curtain came down on Lisbon, writes MIRIAM LORD
Czech leader may present final barrier to ratification5 Oct 2009ANALYSIS: Irish Yes vote paves the way for the Lisbon Treaty to enter into force – only Czech president Vaclav Klaus stands in the way, writes JAMIE SMYTH
Resounding Yes result reflects change in economic conditions5 Oct 2009ANALYSIS: People voted for Lisbon out of desperation at economy rather than due to a new-found love for Europe, writes NOEL WHELAN
The Yes vote to Europe5 Oct 2009THE RESOUNDING two to one majority for the Lisbon Treaty is, as Taoiseach Brian Cowen has said, good for Ireland and good for the European Union. It has reaffirmed that Irish people are among the most enthusiastic supporters of the European project and understand that our fate lies with, and at the heart of it, not least in the middle of the mother of all economic crises.
Recession focused minds on how vital EU is to our fortunes5 Oct 2009ANALYSIS: THE DECISION of the Irish people to ratify the Lisbon Treaty by such an overwhelming majority is a clear signal that most of the country’s citizens want to live in an outward-looking country at the heart of the European project, rather than retreat back to an isolated position on the periphery, writes STEPHEN COLLINS
State's role on world stage depends on Yes to Lisbon1 Oct 2009People should vote Yes if they want Ireland to continue to have international standing and influence, writes BRIAN COWEN
Eurosceptic line of Irish editions of UK papers more muted this time around1 Oct 2009The approach of British papers has been notably different during this referendum campaign, writes MARY FITZGERALD Foreign Affairs Correspondent
Downbeat finale for Fianna Fáil and the frontman no one wants to see1 Oct 2009The main Government party could not figure out how you solve a problem like Cowen in their drive for a Yes vote, writes MIRIAM LORD
Evidence on the doorsteps suggests slight swing to Yes1 Oct 2009Ireland retaining its commissioner is less of an issue, it appears, than concern over the the minimum wage, writes HARRY McGEE Political Staff
A treaty to advance EU peace-building or to develop a militarised Europe?30 Sep 2009LISBON: THE E-MAIL DUELS: In the last of our e-mail duels between Lisbon Treaty protagonists, ROGER COLE , chairman of the Peace and Neutrality Alliance (Pana), which is urging a No vote, exchanges blows with BEN TONRA , associate professor of international relations at UCD school of politics and international relations, who is an advocate of a Yes vote
We owe it to people of Europe to vote No30 Sep 2009There are strong reasons to vote No to the Lisbon Treaty, writes VINCENT BROWNE
Voters should beware the advice of false friends across Irish Sea29 Sep 2009OPINION: The Irish vote on the Lisbon Treaty is a good one for British Eurosceptics only if it is a No vote
Ireland's stance on right to life cannot be affected by Lisbon29 Sep 2009OPINION: THERE IS no doubt that the Lisbon Treaty is a detailed document. Unfortunately, the debate has not been helped by the spread of misinformation and mistruths by certain elements on the No side.
Housing estate turns into No man's land28 Sep 2009The Libertas leader won plenty of support despite canvassing on Saturday evening, writes KATHY SHERIDAN
Second time around: how Dublin South-West voters are seeing it this time28 Sep 2009A vox-pop from Dublin South-West
Arguments linking treaty with jobs gain traction in Tallaght28 Sep 2009Dublin South West turned out the largest No vote in the last Lisbon referendum, but No campaigners worry the swing is towards a Yes this time
Government has secured no changes to original treaty28 Sep 2009OPINION: The Irish people are being asked to vote on exactly the same text they rejected last time, writes GERRY ADAMS
EU will be more democratic and effective if Lisbon is ratified28 Sep 2009OPINION: The Lisbon Treaty isthe outcome of a broader negotiation – and is a considerable improvement on Nice and Amsterdam, writes NOEL DORR
Polls reflect quiet nature of campaign26 Sep 2009THE DIFFICULTY with putting a lengthy and complex treaty document up before the electorate for a straight Yes or No answer is that it is almost inevitable that peripheral issues or non-issues would impact on the decision.
Lisbon Treaty's less publicised elements provide a compelling argument to vote Yes26 Sep 2009TWO WEEKS ago in this column I explained the exceptionally democratic process by which the text of the Lisbon Treaty was prepared by the elected politicians of the EU states – opposition representatives as well as government ministers – and summarised the many useful reforms that this treaty proposes to effect.
Public can play crucial role in legitimising EU26 Sep 2009IRELAND IS a cockpit for contending European political currents in the closing stages of the second Lisbon referendum. It is also a laboratory for contending explanations of how politicisation changes the European Union. Whatever the outcome, this campaign will have a lasting effect on dimensions of the EU and Ireland’s involvement in them.
Consequences of last year's No vote still reverberate in Europe26 Sep 2009The Irish in Europe are on the wrong side of the argument, and not just with Germans
Lisbon will not create European super-state or affect sovereignty25 Sep 2009OPINION: Rulings of the German and Czech constitutional courts are powerful and persuasive findings for the Lisbon Treaty, writes MICHAEL McDOWELL
Women have benefited hugely from positive policies of EU25 Sep 2009OPINION: The EU has promoted equality, dignity and social inclusion, writes OLIVE BRAIDEN
Relief for Yes side but opponents can take heart too25 Sep 2009OPINION POLL ANALYSIS: Supporters of Lisbon will be glad their lead has held steady while the No camp has won more undecided voters. The gap, however, looks too large to bridge
The only sane course is to say No to this undemocratic formula24 Sep 2009OPINION :The Lisbon Treaty is anti-democratic andso is the way it isbeing ratified, writes DECLAN GANLEY
Treaty hides ticking time bomb of EU defence body23 Sep 2009Lisbon Treaty seeks to incorporate an aggressive European Defence Agency into EU, writes VINCENT BROWNE
Lisbon reforms will make EU more effective and democratic23 Sep 2009OPINION: Guarantees to Ireland on critical issues strengthen case for a Yes vote in referendum, writes DAVID BYRNE
Lisbon kicked into touch by disenfranchised22 Sep 2009MY GAELIC football season is almost over. I still don’t know why people insist on calling it ladies’ football. Sunday’s All-Ireland final witnessed a brilliant battle of wits between Tadhg Kennelly and Graham Canty but I’m not sure that the Kerry and Cork men would wittingly describe their sporting skills as gentlemen’s football, writes ELAINE BYRNE
Ireland's national sovereignty under threat22 Sep 2009OPINION: I AM astonished at how advocates for the Lisbon Treaty, rather than deal with real concerns about the treaty, frequently resort to slinging insults at their opponents. So far I have found myself on the receiving end of abuse such as “nitwit”, “mad ayatollah” and “unemployable f***ing head banger”, writes ROBERT BALLAGH
What the Lisbon Treaty will do21 Sep 2009IT IS likely that when many voters turn out for the referendum on October 2nd the detailed specifics of the Lisbon Treaty may not be weighing most heavily on their minds. It was ever so.
Will workers have greater rights if treaty is ratified?21 Sep 2009LISBON: THE E-MAIL DUELS: In another of our e-mail duels over the Lisbon Treaty, SHAY CODY , deputy general secretary of Impact, the largest public sector trade union which is supporting the Yes campaign, crosses swords with JIMMY KELLY , Irish regional organiser of Unite, which supports a No vote, over workers’ rights
Lisbon Yes may equip Cowen to tackle Green dissent19 Sep 2009Fianna Fáil faces trouble over Nama, but the treatybeing passed would strengthen them
Rights push in Europe not based on treaty19 Sep 2009WORLDVIEW: IT IS possible that, a few months down the road, a European court may dramatically reshape the legal availability of abortion in Ireland.
Naysayers deny reality of changed society21 Sep 2009CONCERN BREEDS fear. Mix fear with ignorance and you get a truly perverse cocktail. Plato wrote that “Ignorance is not merely the lack of knowledge, but self-destructive turning away from truth...the ignorant person believes he knows what he actually doesn’t know. He becomes delusional. He is deranged.”, writes TONY KINSELLA
Four reasons for a No, and four more not to vote Yes18 Sep 2009Dubious ‘guarantees and assurances’ given regarding the Lisbon Treaty studiously avoid its rotten core
Irish protocol will copper-fasten right to life of the unborn18 Sep 2009OPINION: The new text will also help to protect family rights and education
A malign influence from Britain18 Sep 2009IRELAND HAS become a battleground for several conflicting political currents in the European Union as voters prepare to decide on the Lisbon Treaty on October 2nd. That is to be expected in this emergent transnational political system, notwithstanding electoral sovereignty.
After 36 years Europe has earned our trust16 Sep 2009AH, SUNDAY morning. Home-made smoothies, pancakes and even unseasonal sunshine. Just to top the morning off I turn on Marian Finucane on RTÉ Radio 1 – only to hear artist Robert Ballagh stick his hypocritical little oar into the Lisbon Treaty debate. I turned it off, writes SARAH CAREY
What are the legal and constitutional implications of the Lisbon Treaty?14 Sep 2009LISBON: THE E-MAIL DUELS: In the second of our e-mail duels between protagonists and experts, we asked long-time EU critic ANTHONY COUGHLAN to enter the ring with European law lecturer GAVIN BARRETT
Team Yes - who's who, how they are funded and what their strategy is14 Sep 2009Apart from the main political parties, civic and business groups are lining up on the Yes side
Economic balance of advantage tends to a Yes12 Sep 2009ANALYSIS: What do independent economists think is in Ireland’s best interest with regard to the Lisbon Treaty?
Ireland had key role in framing uniquely democratic treaty12 Sep 2009At all stages in the framing of the Lisbon Treaty, Irish interests have got a good airing, writes GARRET FitzGERALD
No vote would be an irrational act of self-injury12 Sep 2009WORLD VIEW: In punching a hole in EU identity, our rejection of Lisbon would also align us with a Eurosceptical UK
Yes campaign must sell treaty as a good thing in itself12 Sep 2009The quality of debate in this referendum is greatly improved, but the sides must fight to maintain momentum, writes NOEL WHELAN
If Yes side sticks to the big picture Lisbon can be won12 Sep 2009INSIDE POLITICS: There is a different momentum to the Lisbon debate this time round which should favour a Yes vote, writes STEPHEN COLLINS
Sick of hearing half-truths in treaty debate12 Sep 2009Some Yes voters display bias against their rivals; some No voters employ contemptible tactics, writes BREDA O'BRIEN
Don't be misled - EU has led way for workers' rights11 Sep 2009OPINION: Employment standards are protected, not diminished, by the Lisbon Treaty. The treaty has nothing at all to do with the minimum wage, no matter what Cóir or Joe Higgins say, writes MARY COUGHLAN
Second treaty rebuff would usher in era of uncertainty10 Sep 2009THE ROAD TO LISBON II : The overall fallout from a second No vote is hard to predict, writes European Correspondent JAMIE SMYTH . More certain is that Ireland would lose standing in the EU...and would also lose its commissioner
Treaty is unlikely to threaten ban on abortion9 Sep 2009THE ROAD TO LISBON II: , In the third article of the series, European corresondent JAMIE SMYTH delves behind the upshots of a ‘single legal personality’ and analyses its impact on the interplay between national and EU justice
Germany to Lisbon9 Sep 2009STEP BY step, painfully slowly it seems, the Lisbon Treaty is struggling across the finish line to ratification.
Democratic gains of new treaty got lost last time8 Sep 2009THE ROAD TO LISBON II: In the second part of our series, European Correspondent JAMIE SMYTH explains how the treaty creates a more democratic voting system and enhances the role of MEPs as well as those of national parliaments
After years of debate treaty's fate rests with us7 Sep 2009THE ROAD TO LISBON II: The battle for Lisbon has been joined in earnest. In the first of three articles, European Correspondent JAMIE SMYTH charts the course to a second referendum and explains what the treaty is about...and what it is not about
There are justifiable wars - even in our case7 Sep 2009ON OCTOBER 2nd we will vote on a set of operational reforms for the complex, if often boring, 27-member state European Union. When it comes to the consideration of Irish neutrality and EU membership, familiar actors re-emerge to deliver their familiar lines, writes TONY KINSELLA
Noxious propaganda and inventions should have no place in debate on the Lisbon Treaty5 Sep 2009It is vital to focus on the positive aspects of Lisbon in the weeks ahead - first, however, it is necessary to address misleading claims
Putting across the Lisbon message4 Sep 2009THE LISBON Treaty referendum is more likely than not to be won, according to the latest Irish Times/ TNS mrbi opinion poll.
No vote would diminish hope for the unborn3 Sep 2009OPINION: The anti-Lisbon group Cóir claims the treaty could usher in abortion. They are wrong, writes EDMUND GRACE
Extremists unite in irrational reaction to EU3 Sep 2009OPINION: NAZIS, NAZIS everywhere. Last month this column reported on how US president Barack Obama was being painted as being the very worst kind of right- wing thug – by, well, actual right-wing thugs. It may come as a surprise to discover that the other great neo-Nazi movement in our midst is the European Union, writes JOHN GIBBONS
Lisbon will strengthen protection for workers1 Sep 2009Opponents have tried to misrepresent the treaty, claiming it would erode workplace rights.They are wrong writes BERNARD HARBOR .
Hungarians baffled by Irish treaty stand-off29 Aug 2009WORLD VIEW: IT IS instructive to observe how our fellow Europeans in states such as Hungary dealt with the Lisbon Treaty.
Cox and Higgins cross swords over Lisbon in e-mail duel29 Aug 2009THE LISBON Treaty referendum campaign is being fought to date largely outside mainstream politics.
Strange bedfellows of the anti-Lisbon campaign21 Aug 2009It must be embarrassing for Sinn Féin to be sharing the No platform with such great lovers of Ireland as UKIP and hardline Tories, writes PATSY McGARRY
Battle lines drawn on Lisbon Treaty19 Aug 2009THE BATTLE lines are drawn. Over the last couple of weeks partisans of Yes or No to the Lisbon Treaty have formally launched their campaigns or declared their intentions ahead of the referendum on October 2nd.
Politicians step back as Lisbon campaign starts up18 Aug 2009Faced with Nama and the McCarthy report, our political parties lack the will to mount an effective campaign, writes ELAINE BYRNE
Let us support democracy and reject EU superstate13 Aug 2009OPINION: A long Irish tradition favouring neutrality and independence should encourage us to vote No in second vote on Lisbon, writes ROGER COLE
It makes sense to draw closer to EU now11 Aug 2009OPINION: This is not a time for uncertainty and negativity. It is a time for all of us to look to the national interest
Reading our Lisbon material will help voters30 Jul 2009OPINION: Telling voters that they cannot understand the treaty is condescending and wrong, writes FRANK CLARKE
Lisbon will bolster EU's global presence25 Jul 2009WORLD VIEW: THIS IS an important year in the history of the European Union. It marks the 20th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall and the fifth anniversary of the accession of 10 new member states from central and eastern Europe. It is an important year in Ireland’s relations with the union with the referendum in October, writes BRIGID LAFFAN .
Enlarged Europe is a tragedy waiting to happen24 Jul 2009OPINION: THIS IS not a good time to be a small country, especially if you are in southeast Europe. Even getting your own name spelled correctly can be a major international horror, as FYROM (Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia) – or Macedonia as it would like to be called – knows only too well, writes RICHARD PINE
Last year's No to Lisbon was right - until now23 Jul 2009OPINION: I CAMPAIGNED for a No vote in the referendum on the Lisbon Treaty in June last year because I believed a better deal was possible for Ireland and for the European Union generally, writes NAOISE NUNN
Neutrality no longer a realistic option18 Jul 2009OPINION: As the Green Party meets to consider its stance on Lisbon II, a long-standing peace activist argues for a Yes vote, writes JOHN GOODWILLIE
Lisbon Yes will make EU fit for global challenges15 Jul 2009OPINION: If we want the European Union to respond effectively to international financial, energy and climate change crises we must empower it to do so
Yes vote on Lisbon could open door for abortion14 Jul 2009OPINION: If you are against abortion, you should reject the treaty, writes RICHARD GREENE .
A second Lisbon referendum9 Jul 2009A STARK, FRIGHTENING reality exists as the world has changed since the Lisbon Treaty was rejected in a referendum 13 months ago.
Radical energy needed to drive unwieldy EU6 Jul 2009THE EUROPEAN Union lends itself to confusion. The EU is, and is likely to remain permanently, a work in progress.
Securing of Lisbon guarantees shows the value of taking risks4 Jul 2009Brian Cowen was right to stick his neck out at EU level, where great flexibility was shown, writes GARRET FITZGERALD .
Irish voters can influence EU decisions4 Jul 2009WORLD VIEW: WHAT DIFFERENCE does the European Council’s decision last December that all EU member states will retain the right to nominate a European commissioner make to the Lisbon Treaty?
German court ruling aims to lessen Lisbon confusion2 Jul 2009ANALYSIS: Germany’s constitutional court has made important clarifications about the Lisbon Treaty, writes DEREK SCALLY .

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Today FM/Irish Times Lisbon Treay debate held on September 24th.

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