It may have been the splendid weather, the rail strike and consequent traffic jams, simple apathy or, God forbid at this crucial time, a new lack of enthusiasm for the cause, but fewer guests than ever turned up at the European Movement's Europe Day reception in Dublin last Tuesday. Chairman Alan Gillis and the Czech ambassador, Petr Kolar, spoke movingly about the need for a Yes vote in the Nice Treaty referendum on June 7th, but it was really a question of preaching to the converted - and not very many of them either. The only politician to attend was FF's Pat Carey, who happens to be vice-chairman.
Gillis said Nice was a complete win-win situation. We would get investment and the applicant countries would get the opportunities that had set us on the road to success. The referendum placed a huge responsibility on Ireland, as we could delay the whole enlargement process. How could we deny to others the right to participate and benefit? "Consider the downside of the wrong decision. We have a huge responsibility, I hope and pray we do not shirk it," he said.
Neither ambassador Kolar nor the Polish ambassador, Janusz Skolimowski, are worried about next month's result. At a discussion at the European Parliament office in Dublin earlier the same day, the Pole said that after three-and-a-half years here, he was absolutely sure we would vote the right way. Thousands of people were employed by Irish companies in Poland and thousands of acres in Poland were being farmed by Irish farmers, and they had large families. The candidate countries had overcome many barriers, he said, and had been asked to do more than member countries to qualify. The ESB, which had still not been privatised, was nonetheless privatising the Polish electricity board. FG's Bernard Durkan, chairman of the Oireachtas Committee on European Affairs warned that the No campaign would generate the most interest as it had the most reckless things to say.