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Cabinet Considering Running Lisbon Treaty Vote in June with Local/European Elections
Read more about: Ireland, Irish Election, Irish Politics, Lisbon Treaty 
The Independent reports that Cabinet has debated (one would hope they had) running the Lisbon Treaty vote alongisd the Local/European vote on June 5th. There are a number of reasons this would be a good idea, it would save the cost of two elections and prevent the period from April-October becoming one long canvas, minimising the distraction from the major issues of government.
They also get a chance to wrong foot Libertas but I think Libertas are doing a good enough job of screwing themselves up. They can also capitalise on the dawning realsiation that we were just a vote away from being iceland (two votes if you count the one to re-elect Fianna Fail as contributary). Interesting to see how this kite is received.
Cian,
The Indo story bears all the hallmarks of a grain of truth masquerading as a bushel.
In any case, are we not awaiting the EU’s guarantees on a range of items before any second referendum on Lisbon can be put to the Irish electorate?
Given the volatility of public opinion right now, the Government should bring forward the date of the Second Referendum to June only if they are confident they can win a Third Referendum on Lisbon. But then, as we know, human stupidity is limitless….
Only after we’ve got the full detail of the guarantees should it be announced.
The vote is an internal Irish affair, but it has had and it will have European repercussions.
The European elections are going to take place under the modified Treaty of Nice, which means that twelve countries miss out on additional seats at this stage. (Germany has the opposite problem.) How should they prepare for filling these seats, it the Lisbon Treaty enters into force?
The Commission President and the Commission are to be nominated, but both numbers and procedures are different under the existing treaties and the Lisbon Treaty.
More Europe is needed on the world stage, but the rotating presidencies continue and the double-hatted High Representative and the European External Action Service are stalled. The President of the European Council is on hold too.
Since Ireland is going to vote again, the less time wasted the smaller the problems for the European Union as a whole.
Veronica and niall you are right it has all the hallmarks of kite flying but in the absence of public confidence and the EU guarantees one doubts that anything can happen too quickly on this.
On the vote itself veronica I think that. It’s passage looks more certain the worse iceland gets thee is litle between us and them and we know it. Libertas are doing their best to throw away that ‘principled centrist objection’ which legitimised a no vote to many centre right voters. In sum the security of the EU may well mean the vote is becoming harder to lose.
Ralf the vote on June will be under nice rules the commission thoughay not be. We will likely vote and pass the treaty and the commission can he held over pending the implementation of Lisbon rules. I don’t think the absence of Lisbon is as big an issue in many cases the ECB is coordinating the common Market response an all the other fiscal focus falls to states.
The EU is the instrument of European Central bankers who intend to turn Europe into a fascist New World Order state run by a European parliament that they own lock stock and barrel. Ireland made the deal with the devil when they signed up for this fraud and took the billions in subsidies. Now the Eurocrat bankers want pay back and they have every intention of getting it. If Ireland votes against the Lisbon Treaty, they should expect the harshest economic retribution. It will make the English occupation look like summer camp. Not much of a choice really. Cease to exist as an independent nation and be absorbed into the fascist New World Order European superstate or become an economic wasteland and suffer the wrath of Eurocrat Central Bankers. If the fact that no referendums by actual citizens on this ‘treaty’ have been allowed in any other country does not clue people in to the mind set of the architects of the EU, citizens of European countries (or rather what used to be countries) deserve the indentured servitude they will ultimately suffer. The royalists of Europe cleverly realized you could enslave the citizenry through the banking system without firing a single shot. It is as it was. History repeats. Europe falls prey to the royalists.