Sarkozy: Ireland must vote again on Lisbon Treaty

Nicolas Sarkozy.

15/07/2008 - 18:23:36
French President Nicolas Sarkozy said today that Ireland would have to hold a second referendum on the Lisbon Treaty after rejecting the EU reform package last month, according to reports.

“The Irish will have to vote again,” he told members of his conservative party at a meeting in his office.

An official in Paris confirmed Mr Sarkozy made the comment during the private meeting.

The French President’s office declined to comment.

Mr Sarkozy, who took over the EU presidency on July 1, travels to Dublin on Monday with the aim of coming up with a solution to the institutional crisis sparked by the result.

The treaty, which was designed to streamline decision-making in an enlarged EU, cannot be implemented until it is ratified by all member states, although the Republic of Ireland was the only country to hold a public vote.

The reported remarks drew a fierce reponse from Declan Ganley of the Libertas group, one of the most prominent anti-treaty campaigners in the run-up to the June 12 referendum.

“This typifies the anti-democratic nature of what’s going on in Brussels,” he told RTÉ radio.

"If he wants us to vote again then all of the citizens of Europe - almost half a billion of them - should also have a vote.''

Foreign Affairs Minister Micheál Martin refused to be drawn on what he described as hearsay, but said Mr Sarkozy was coming to Ireland to listen.

“As far as we are concerned we have a particular process to go through in this country and at this stage no option has been decided,” he said.

Mr Sarkozy’s remarks come just a day after Taoiseach Brian Cowen left Paris following a EU summit on strengthening and widening relations in the Mediterranean region.

Mr Cowen watched the Bastille Day celebrations yesterday before joining a lunch meeting of the Heads of State and Government hosted by President Sarkozy in the French capital.

Joe Costello, European Affairs spokesman for the pro-treaty Labour Party, said the French President’s reported remarks were most unhelpful.

“If President Sarkozy’s mind is already made up there is little purpose in his visit and any discussions he may have with his Irish hosts will be a sham,” he said.

It was agreed at the EU Heads of State meeting in May to allow for space and time to reflect on the referendum outcome before the Taoiseach reported back to Brussels in October.

Mr Costello said it was unthinkable that Ireland should be compelled to conduct a rerun of the poll after such a strong electoral turnout and significant 'No' vote.