Ireland's Yes vote creates a more powerful Europe

Published on Saturday 3 October 2009 19:43

IRELAND paved the way for a more powerful European Union last night after it backed the Lisbon Treaty by a margin of two to one.

The result raised the growing prospect of Tony Blair being named as the first "European president", a post which will be created by the revolutionary treaty.

But the Irish Yes vote threatened to derail Tory leader David Cameron's plans for his crucial pre-election party conference, which begins tomorrow, as Eurosceptics called on him to stand by the party's commitment to hold a referendum on the treaty. Cameron has yet to say whether he would hold a referendum on the treaty if it has been ratified before the next general election.

Results last night showed that Ireland had backed the treaty by two to one, with 67 per cent supporting it and 33 per cent saying no. In June last year, only 46 per cent said yes.

The treaty must pass two further tests before being enacted. Poland is set to sign up within the next few days, but all eyes will be on the Czech Republic, where the treaty is currently mired in court action. But if the Czechs do sign, the treaty would be enacted immediately and take effect from the end of 2009.

A watered-down version of the controversial European Constitution, it would create a full-time EU president, chosen by EU leaders, who would chair their meetings and set the European agenda.

Together with the post of a foreign "high representative", the new structure would hand the EU a far greater profile on the world stage, able to set foreign policy without national vetoes.

Powers over energy reserves would also be sent to Brussels, and the treaty would strengthen the Charter of Fundamental Rights. Backers say it will also streamline decision-making within the 27-member body, making it better able to combat climate change, international crime and economic failure.

But it will also scrap 40 national vetoes which allow countries to block EU-wide measures they believe are not in their national interest.

Irish Prime Minister Brian Cowen said last night: "This is a declaration of intent by the people of Ireland to remain in the heart of Europe.

"The Irish people have spoken with a clear and resounding voice."

European Commission president Jose Manuel Barroso said last night: "I am extremely happy. All member states have now democratically approved the Lisbon Treaty, either by popular or by parliamentary vote."

The Irish vote was also welcomed by Prime Minister Gordon Brown and Foreign Secretary David Miliband.

However, anti-treaty campaigners described the result as "a sad day for democracy". The think tank Open Europe said: "The Lisbon Treaty transfers huge new powers to the EU and away from ordinary people and national parliaments."

It added: "EU elites will be popping the champagne and slapping each other on the back for managing to bully Ireland into reversing its first verdict on this undemocratic treaty."

Blair is now among the clear favourites to take over as president for a two-and-a-half-year posting, beginning on 1 January. Aides of Tony Blair are understood to be leading a diplomatic push for his nomination, with the former prime minister understood to be keen to accept.

The plans are bitterly opposed by the Conservatives. But the Irish decision was proving a more pressing problem for the Tories last night over their plans for a referendum on the treaty.

Although Labour promised a referendum on the planned European Constitution, it argued that the Lisbon Treaty – which succeeded the constitution – did not require a full public vote.

Cameron once again refused to say whether, as prime minister, he would hold a referendum in the UK following ratification, saying only that he "won't let matters rest".

Cameron would only confirm that, if the treaty is still waiting to be signed when he comes to power, a referendum would take place.

But polling suggested that the bulk of the party grass roots believe Cameron should support a referendum no matter what, even if it had already been ratified. A poll conducted by the ConservativeHome website of party activists found that 80 per cent wanted Cameron to pledge that a referendum would be held no matter what.

Tim Montgomerie, the editor of ConservativeHome warned yesterday that the matter could now overwhelm a new Conservative government

He said: "If the grassroots want the next Conservative government to be hawkish on Europe, the Tory leadership fear an exhausting quagmire that will dominate the early years of the first Conservative government of the 21st century. Team Cameron want to spend the next few years as social and economic reformers."

But Conservative MEP Daniel Hannan piled further pressure on Cameron last night, insisting not only that a referendum should take place but arguing that it should look at taking back more powers from Europe than simply those in the treaty.

He told BBC News: "It may well have to be a much wider referendum on the basis of what kind of powers we would like to see repatriated from Brussels."

The divisions were also laid out after the pro-European Ken Clarke said it would be "absurd" for the party to demand a referendum prior to ratification. But asked whether a Conservative government would hold a post-ratification referendum next year, shadow foreign secretary William Hague said he "was not ruling anything out".

Opponents claimed last night that Cameron was "plotting" with the Czech government leaders to hold up the process so that he could hold a UK referendum, as promised, prior to ratification next September, sparing him the dilemma of a post-ratification vote.

Miliband said: "The Conservatives have to come clean on this matter now. There is no third way on this."

All eyes now turn to the Czech Republic's deeply Eurosceptic president Vaclav Klaus, who is refusing to sign, even though his own parliament has already endorsed the document. Klaus has seized on a last-minute legal challenge by a group of Czech senators and says he will do nothing until that challenge is settled.

Klaus's prime minister, Jan Fischer, said last night that he was "convinced" that ratification would take effect "by the end of 2009".

Barroso added: "I think in the end President Klaus will sign the treaty. He was elected by the (Czech] parliament, and the parliament has voted on the treaty. So it would be a great contradiction for him not to respect the decision of the parliament."