Some Irish ideas for a new referendum

(BRUSSELS2) According to some information circulating, the Irish government is considering a package of proposals to encourage the Irish to return to the polls and put a YES ballot to the Lisbon Treaty.

This device would take the form of multiple statements :
– a reaffirmation of Ireland's neutrality at the military level,
– refusal of tax harmonization at European level,
– desire to keep a commissioner,
– preservation of certain particularities of family law, such as abortion.

defense side, these declarations would be doubled by the implementation of an opt-out, on certain aspects of the European defense policy (ESDP):

– non-participation in the European Defense Agency.
– non-participation in the EU Military Staff.
Ireland would, however, continue to take part in decisions on ESDP missions. This makes it possible to influence their launch (unanimous vote) or to participate, on a case-by-case basis, in certain missions, without additional formalities.

(This opt-out could require an additional "protocol", or even no protocol (declaration + decision announced to the General Staff and to the European Defense Agency) Last solution which has the advantage of not having to resubmit this question to the approval of the other 26 Member States. The protocol has the same value as the Treaty and must be signed and ratified by the 27 Member States)

New referendum in the spring…The idea underlying this package would be to (re)submit the Treaty of Lisbon to a new referendum in the spring... (honestly, the "new offer" seems to me a little "weak" to provoke a certain movement of the Irish in favor of a Yes. A second No would in fact seal any possible progress, more definitively than any other solution).

(Nicolas Gros-Verheyde)