Madam – Your Editorial (July 9th) on what you, and many others eumphemistically refer to as the Lisbon Treaty Referendum, should be more correctly spelled out as a proposed new European Constitution.
You conclude that “a vitally important decision has to be made by the people of this State”. Can I remind you that the people of this State have already made their decision. It’s just that our Government have rejected it. – Yours, etc,
Madam, – Your Editorial on a second Lisbon Treaty Referendum notes that the defining issue is whether Ireland wants to stand financially isolated or part of a strong and supportive European Union.
In my view, you have framed the debate succinctly and accurately. Every government over the past half century has seen the issue in precisely these terms and has believed that Ireland should be part of a strong and supportive Europe in order to develop the economy and modernise society.
Every government, without exception, has pursued a strategy designed to keep Ireland at the heard of Europe “in a spirit of loyal and constructive cooperation” (to quote Seán Lemass when applying for Irish membership of the EEC in 1961).
The rejection of the Lisbon Treaty last June called that strategy into question.
A repetition of the ‘No’ vote next October would bring it to an end. As to what would take its place is a matter for conjecture but one view is that the way will have been opened for an end to our membership of the European Union, probably resulting in membership of the European Economic Area, to which Norway and Iceland belong.
Whether this scenario is the most likely or not should be at the heart of what your Editorial called “a reasoned and constructive debate” on Ireland’s future.
In that debate, there can be no room for arguing that a second No vote would be without any consequences and that the status quo could be maintained indefinitely.
That flies in the face of everyday experience: all actions have consequences.
What we need to put in the balance are the consequences of staying part of a strong and supportive association of states (to use the definition recently offered by the German constitutional court) or the consequences of either being isolated within the EU or being isolated outside the community to which we have belonged this past 36 years. – Yours, etc,