The Irish Problem

Indeed, I find it very problematic being Irish. And so do many of my friends. I hope the EU is planning on earmarking funds towards research. Maybe something can be done with stem cells.

An internal EU briefing paper, entitled The Solution to the Irish Problem, [Now, where have I heard this sort of phrase before?...can't quite place it...It really is astonishing how incredibly culturally tone deaf these Eurocrats are. What vat do they grow these people in?] predicts that Dublin will accede to the re-run at a meeting of Europe's leaders on October 15.

Ireland has been under French and German pressure to hold a second vote and Autumn 2009 has emerged as the favoured date among officials and diplomats ahead of the European Union summit on the future of the Lisbon Treaty next month.

Ireland has refused to deny that a second referendum could occur, following the 'No' vote in June.

The document has been written by an influential group of French officials, called Le Amis du Traite de Lisbonne or Friends of the Lisbon Treaty.

According to the briefing, a second Irish vote will follow a guarantee that Ireland will not lose its European Commissioner and "declarations" on neutrality, abortion and taxation - all issues that dominated the Irish campaign.

"The second Irish referendum could take place, on this new basis, during Autumn 2009, pushing back the coming into force of the Treaty of Lisbon until 2010," says the document.

The text, by a senior European official called Jean-Guy Giraud, who is based in Paris, is widely regarded as reflecting the view in France, current holder of the EU's rotating presidency.

Other EU officials have confirmed that next year's Autumn referendum fixture is gaining ground in informal and formal talks between diplomats ahead of the summit next month.

"This date is the one being mentioned in discussions," said a source.

Open Europe, however, has said that the reasons for the Irish No vote were rather more basic and human, patriotic, one might say: They don't like to be bullied by a bunch of effete, scented, cheese-eating Frenchmen.

An Irish Times/TNS mrbi poll of June 6, showed that Ireland would vote No. The same poll showed that the reasons most commonly given for the No vote had to do with fears over the increasing political power of the EU over sovereign member states. The most popular reasons cited were “ to keep Ireland’s power and identity” and “to safeguard Ireland’s neutrality”.

Most tellingly, the poll also listed as a common reason for the No vote being that the Irish “don’t like being told what to do/forced into voting yes”.

It could just be that the Irish have a mind to run their own country, thank you very much. But I suppose such a notion is simply unimaginable to an EU "official".