Relieved EU toasts Irish vote

European People Party (EPP) member Jean-Luc Dehaene drinks a pint of Guinness as he watches the broadcast of the results of the referendum on the Lisbon Treaty in Brussels. Reuters/Francois Lenoir

JAMIE SMYTH in Brussels

Ireland's Yes vote was greeted with cheers in Kitty O'Sheas pub in the heart of the EU quarter in Brussels today as Yes campaigners turned out in force to watch the results roll in from all constituencies.

The pub, which became a Mecca for No campaigners at the time of the first referendum, was transformed this time around as EU officials, many wearing T-shirts with campaign slogans and painted faces, enjoyed free drinks and food in a carnival atmosphere.

But it was the Irish officials working in the three main EU institutions who wore the largest grins as they reflected on a difficult 16 months since the No vote to treaty in June 2008.

"I'm so relieved that we have voted yes," said Aidan O'Sullivan, a 32-year-old Irish man working in the European Parliament.

"Since I began working in the parliament I've noticed how our No vote prompted disbelief and shock among our EU partners. They just couldn't understand how a country that did so well from Europe voted No," said Mr O'Sullivan, who availed of Ryanair's free flights promotion and flew home to vote.

Last year's No vote to Lisbon took the rest of Europe by surprise. So often cited as the poster boy of Europe, Ireland had for the second time in seven years voted against an EU treaty that most of its partners had agreed to implement.

The goodwill generated by voting Yes to the Nice Treaty in a second referendum in 2002 and negotiating an EU-wide agreement on the EU constitution evaporated almost overnight.

When combined with Ireland's spectacular economic collapse there is little doubt our standing in Europe and the influence we yield at the EU negotiating table has suffered a blow.

Guy Verhofstadt, leader of the Liberal group in the parliament - of which Fianna Fáil is a member -  turned up to celebrate the result. He said the Government had been very constructive since the first no vote, adding there would be no negative repercussions for Ireland in Brussels.

"This wasn't the case with the governments that voted No to the EU constitution. Ireland did well," he said.

Undoubtedly a second No vote would have soured Irish-EU relations for years to come but many Irish politicians, EU officials and even some Europeans believe voting yes does not automatically restore Ireland's previous good standing in Europe.

"Voting yes will restore our position somewhat but we are not back to where we were before Lisbon or before the Nice No," says Fine Gael MEP Gay Mitchell, who served as European affairs minister between 1993-95.

"We were the white-haired boys for a long time but many of the new member states just can't understand why we voted no after benefiting so much from the Union," says Mr Mitchell, who suggests a diplomatic offensive needs to be launched quickly by the Government to mend fences in Europe.

The first big decision for Taoiseach Brian Cowen to take is to nominate a high-calibre commissioner, and quickly. Negotiations are already underway in Brussels between European Commission president Jose Manuel Barroso and other EU leaders over the distribution of portfolios for his new team.

Mr Cowen should formally propose an Irish candidate this week and begin lobbying for a good job, which can help rebrand Ireland in Europe. One possible target is a new commission post called innovation, science and research, which may come with a €50 billion R&D programme.

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