Be patient with Irish 'No' to Lisbon, EU states told

Jamie Smyth talks to European Commission vice-president Margot Wallström about some EU politicians' plans for moving ahead without Ireland

SWEDISH EU commissioner Margot Wallström has warned member states not to push Ireland into making a hasty decision to hold a second referendum on the Lisbon treaty.

She added, however, that there is little prospect that other states will agree to abandon the treaty after investing seven years in negotiations on how to reform the union.

"All the member states have invested so many years and so much time in the procedure that it will take a lot to abandon it at this critical juncture when 26 member states at the end of the autumn will have ratified it," said Ms Wallström, who as senior vice-president within the commission is responsible for communications and institutional issues.

She said everyone was impatient to have the treaty enter into force because of the European elections next June, which could now become a referendum on the treaty due to the Irish No vote.

She cautioned other states to be patient with Ireland. "I underline that this is the responsibility for the whole of the EU, and this should not just be seen as a problem for the Irish. The Irish should not be forced or pushed or pressed into taking a decision that they don't feel they are ready for," said Ms Wallström, who will visit Ireland next month to assess the mood on the ground.

She said plans on the part of some politicians in the wake of the Irish No vote for the EU to move ahead on its own without Ireland were "unrealistic".

"There might be those who will want to go ahead on their own, but I think it is totally unrealistic. Nobody wants to see Ireland out of the EU and that is certainly not the wish of the Irish people," she said.

Ms Wallström has already pressed for changes to the commission's own communications policy following the Irish No. She has advocated creating a "rebuttal function" within the commission to dispel untruths about the EU, and also reaching out to young and women voters.

She also wants the commission and other Europeans to play a leading role in any second referendum campaign that may happen in the Republic.

"I think maybe they (the Government) would open up to more people coming to help from abroad . . . these debates benefit from having a bit of controversy - one shouldn't be afraid of controversy. A more lively debate would be in the interests of the Government," said Ms Wallström, who added that personalities from outside the political arena could also play a useful role in a campaign.

She rejected suggestions that the commission or she personally should shoulder the blame for the distance that continues to exist between citizens and the EU.

"I wish I could accept that (blame) because then I would have the power to repair it . . . I am not able to mastermind communication in Ireland on my own or with the commission - we have to work hand in hand. And if we don't, then we have less of a chance of succeeding."

EU leaders are expected to sign a non-binding declaration at the summit in Brussels this week, under which they will agree to co-ordinate communications policy with EU institutions and set priorities for national campaigns to communicate regarding Europe.

© 2008 The Irish Times

This article appears in the print edition of the Irish Times