Second Nice vote branded ‘arrogant and undemocratic’

Date: 13/06/02

By David Cronin

A LEADING 'No to Nice' campaigner has berated the Irish government for planning a second referendum on the treaty 'without changing a jot or tittle' in it.

Anthony Coughlan, head of campaign group National Platform, believes Taoiseach (Prime Minister) Bertie Ahern could be breaching the country's constitution if he proceeds with the new referendum - expected in October.

Ireland's 1937 constitution states the public has the right to decide all questions of national policy 'in final appeal'.

Coughlan, a retired lecturer at Dublin's Trinity College, endorsed a recent assertion by ex-Attorney General John Rogers that holding a second referendum on Nice is 'an arrogant and undemocratic rejection of the will of the people', who rejected the treaty in the first referendum on 7 June 2001.

'Never before have we had a repeat referendum on exactly the same constitutional amendment - and this one year after the first one,' said Coughlan.

On previous occasions when the same subject had been put to the voters twice - as happened with abortion and divorce - the substance of the proposal had been altered and 'nearly a decade had elapsed' between the first and second votes.

The Nice Treaty, agreed at the French European Council summit in December 2000, is designed to pave the way for enlargement by limiting the future size of the European Commission and Parliament. It also adjusts voting procedures in the Council of Ministers to take account of new members and population size.

However, there is concern in Ireland that references to EU security and defence policy in the treaty would also mean an end to its tradition of military neutrality. In a bid to boost hopes of a 'Yes' vote in October, EU leaders are due to agree a special declaration at next week's summit in Seville confirming that ratification of the treaty would not compromise Irish neutrality.

But Coughlan dismissed this move as 'political spoofery'.

'It will tell us no more than that there is no mutual defence commitment in the Nice Treaty, which we already know. The declaration will not be a treaty, will have no binding legal effect and will leave Nice totally unchanged. It is no more than an attempt to deceive the Irish people.'

Coughlan said the creation of a 'militarised' EU is not compatible with a 'meaningful Irish neutrality'. He is opposed to giving the EU direct responsibility over the 60,000-strong rapid reaction force which most member states have pledged to commit forces to.

'At present we have Irish army officers caught up in continual military planning for this EU army in the making - potentially in relation to military operations which will have no UN mandate,' he added.

Leading 'No to Nice' campaigner Anthony Coughlan has criticised the Irish government for planning a second referendum on the treaty.