Ireland vote rejects EU treaty ... (EU fears crisis)

The Press Association ^ | 06-13-2008

[snowsislander]

Well done by the Irish.

[IrishMike]

For European Union politicians who back the treaty it is indeed an unlucky Friday 13th.

Without Ireland on board Lisbon is dead.

[devere]

Since Ireland is the only country in Europe that respects the will of their people, they obviously do not belong. Eject the Irish from the EU, so the rest of the nations can follow their unimpeded path toward fascism.

[libertarian27]

Excellent News, EU on the Run...

[mgc1122]

Here’s cheers to my Irish cousins ... congratulations on standing up to the tyranny of the EU.

[ExSoldier]

Did England go along to get along? If so, was it the Blair administration of his successor?

[Lurking in Kansas]

To quote Pete Townsend:

We're not gonna take it
Never did and never will
We're not gonna take it
Gonna break it, gonna shake it,
let's forget it better still

[nina0113]

...so the rest of the nations can follow their unimpeded path toward fascism.

I'm waiting for Otto von Habsburg to step up and declare himself Holy Roman Emperor.

[IrishMike]

The treaty was negotiated in Lisbon last December by EU leaders as a way of replacing the proposed European constitution, which had earlier been rejected by voters in France in the Netherlands.

It would have provided for many of the same Europe-wide government arrangements foreseen in the rejected constitution, but as an international treaty, only parliamentary approval was necessary for ratification.

The exception was Ireland, the lone European country that requires a referendum on all constitutional changes.

Opinion polls across Europe consistently show that political elites in member states are far more enthusiastic about making the EU into a supranational government than ordinary voters.

[grey_whiskers]

OK, it's time to make Ireland the 51st State.

I might even move there from my beloved Minnesota.

Cheers!

[Eurotwit]

I think labour (Blair) promised a referendum before the elections, but Gordon Brown has broken that pledge.

Someone correct me if I am wrong.

I guess Labour’s argument is that this new treaty (Lisbon) is not longer a constitution, thus no pledge has been broken.

Cheeky bastards.

Cheers.

[expatpat]

It was a set-up that collapsed.

Ireland got so many subsidies from the EU, that it was sure the Irish would vote "yes", and they were supposed to give the constitution legitimacy, even though most governments were careful not to let the citizens vote.

[Earthdweller]

Guess the Irish still don’t want to be slaves. Imagine that.

[Entrepreneur]

[agere_contra]

Did England go along to get along

England hasn't had a referendum, for the full and sufficient reason that it would be rejected out of hand.

Think "stealth government" and you won't be far wrong.

[wolf78]

Suggestion: OK, it's time to make Ireland the 51st State.

Answer: Guess the Irish still don’t want to be slaves.

Or could Minnesota just leave the union (i.e. the United States)?

[fuzzy dunlop]

Correct - this Brit’ll be raising a glass of something appropriate tonight to our cousins on the Emerald Isle.

[grey_whiskers]

It's practically part of Canada anyway.

Good beer, bad health care.

Lotsa blondes.

(Except for the recent wave of Somali immigrants.)

Cheers!

[IrishMike]

Siochan leat