Ireland/EU

Irish PM sets date for second vote on Lisbon Treaty

Article published on the 2009-07-08 Latest update 2009-07-09 13:27 TU

An Irish flag flies next to an EU flag in front of the EU Commission headquarters in Brussels
(Photo: Reuters)

Irish Prime Minister Brian Cowen told parliament on Wednesday that the country would return to the polls on 2 October for the second referendum on the controversial Lisbon treaty on the future of the European Union.

Cowen announced that he had received assurances from his EU counterparts on the issues that concerned Irish voters, after their rejection last June shocked EU leaders.

“I believe these concerns have been addressed now in the shape of the legal guarantees which have been agreed by the 27 heads of state,” he said.

“I recommend to the government that we return to the people to seek their approval for Ireland to ratify the treaty,” he told politicians in Dublin. “That referendum will take place on 2 October.”

Irish voters rejected the adoption of the treaty, which aims to streamline decision-making in the 27-member bloc, preventing the treaty from coming into force before European elections, as originally intended.

Despite recent polls that show that a majority of the public would now vote “yes”, politicians claim there is still significant misunderstanding among voters about what the major issues are.

Opposition leader Enda Kenny, whose Fine Gael party supports the treaty said, “I would not underestimate the strength of the feeling of confusion that is out there.”

The neutrality of Ireland’s military, taxation and ethical concerns, such as abortion, were among the questions on voters' minds during the last vote.

The left-wing nationalist Sinn Fein party said it will continue to oppose the treaty in the second referendum.

“Until such time as we have a new treaty that responds to the deeply held concerns […] Sinn Fein will continue to campaign for a better deal,” said Sinn Féin spokesperson Aengus Ó Snodaigh.

Libertas, which was involved in the original "no" campaign, was unavailable for comment.