Ireland stands alone against the EU Treaty

Bruno Waterfield
London Telegraph
Wednesday, May 6, 2009

Ireland now stands alone after the Czechs completed parliamentary ratification of the Lisbon Treaty this afternoon.

Czech senators removed the last substantialbarrier to the Lisbon Treaty, outside Ireland, by voting 54-20, with seven abstentions, to ratify the text derived from the old EU Constitution.

Jose Manuel Barroso, the European Commission President, was suitably jubilant.

“I hope that the remaining constitutional requirements in both the Czech Republic and other member states will be completed as quickly as possible,” he said.

“After the news today there are very good prospects for the Irish vote.”

The treaty now awaits signature by the country’s President Vaclav Klaus, he has refused to sign it until after a second Irish referendum and a probable Czech court case.

• A d v e r t i s e m e n t

Parliamentary ratification has now been completed in all EU countries and awaited signatures from the Czech and Polish presidents are regarded as a formality as is a German court ruling on the treaty later this year.

Many of the EU’s great and good are hoping isolation plus the economic crisis will drive the Irish to their knees and into a yes vote.

“Ireland is in a very difficult position and I don’t think the public want to face those challenges alone. They will look to Europe,” said Hans-Gert-Poettering, European Parliament president this afternoon.

This is what is known as a negative argument. It seems to be pretty much all they have.

Full story here.

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