THE IRISH vote for Lisbon was a declaration of independence from the United Kingdom Independence Party, the president of the EU Commission said yesterday.
Speaking at the EU Parliament, José Manuel Barroso rejected suggestions that the commission had bullied the Irish into submission.
Mr Barosso was taking part in what was the first ever questions and answers session with a president of the commission at the parliament.
UKIP MEP Nigel Farage said the commission had managed to “bully the Irish into submission the second time around”.
Mr Barroso told him not to be disappointed about the Irish result in which 67 per cent of people voted to accept the Lisbon Treaty.
He said it showed that when there was a real debate with real ownership, there can be strong support for Europe.
“In fact, it was a declaration of independence of Ireland from the UK Independent Party because you were there making a campaign and Ireland said No to you and your party,” Mr Barosso said.
Asked whether the commission had taken any steps to ensure the transition between the Nice and Lisbon Treaties, Mr Barroso said it was waiting to see what the Czech Constitutional Court would decide before taking any steps.
In response to a question from Fine Gael MEP Sean Kelly on the division of competencies among commissioners in the new commission, Mr Barroso appeared to hint he would like Ireland to nominate a female candidate.
He said Ireland had not yet nominated a candidate and he had written to member states requesting they nominate women in particular.
Mr Barroso told another MEP he was “most vexed” about the gender balance on the commission.
During the one-hour question-and-answer session, Mr Barroso also said the commission was preparing an exit strategy from the current financial situation, but that it would not take effect before 2011.