Ireland to vote on EU Lisbon Treaty in October
Call this democracy?
Quote:
The Republic of Ireland will hold a second referendum on the EU's controversial Lisbon Treaty on 2 October, Irish PM Brian Cowen says.
He made the announcement in the Irish parliament on Wednesday.
The treaty, aimed at streamlining EU institutions, was rejected by Irish voters by referendum in June last year. Mr Cowen has now secured binding EU guarantees that Lisbon will not affect Irish sovereignty over key issues such as military neutrality and abortion.
These issues, along with taxation policy, were identified as major concerns of Irish voters. "I believe these concerns have been addressed now in the shape of the legal guarantees," Mr Cowen told parliament on Wednesday.
"On that basis, I recommended to the government that we return to the people to seek their approval for Ireland to ratify the treaty and that referendum will take place on 2 October."
Most EU member states have ratified the treaty, but the Eurosceptic presidents of the Czech Republic and Poland have not yet signed it, saying they will wait for the decision of Irish voters.
Shame on the Irish Prime Minister for making his people vote again, I wonder if he allowed his opposition party another election a few months after he was voted in - didn't think so. I also wonder that if the treaty had got through, would the Republic of Ireland be having another vote this time around to see what they think now? - didn't think so.
The fact the European Union has now offered Ireland opt outs (which will later be scrapped anyway) goes to show all along, that they do and always have aimed to create a European superstate despite the people of Europe not wanting a unelected European superstate to have powers over sovereign elected governments.
Iran and China must be laughing when our governments and the EU itself labels them undemocratic.