{"id":152,"date":"2008-06-15T22:37:38","date_gmt":"2008-06-15T21:37:38","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/soerenkern.com\/web\/?p=152"},"modified":"2014-09-13T23:15:33","modified_gmt":"2014-09-13T22:15:33","slug":"why-irish-voters-rejected-the-lisbon-treaty","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/soerenkern.com\/web\/2008\/06\/15\/why-irish-voters-rejected-the-lisbon-treaty\/","title":{"rendered":"Why Irish Voters Rejected the Lisbon Treaty"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"eu_lisbon_treaty_2007\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Irish voters said “No” to the superpower ambitions of European political elites, who want all 27 member-states of the European Union to ratify the Lisbon Treaty, which would turn the EU into a bureaucratic superstate.<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

Why Irish Voters Rejected the Lisbon Treaty<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Soeren Kern | Strategic Studies Group | June 15, 2008<\/p>\n

Irish voters on June 12 said \u2018No\u2019<\/a> to the superpower ambitions of European political elites, who want all 27 member-states of the European Union to ratify the 269-page (about 3000 pages with annexes) Lisbon Treaty<\/a> that would turn the EU into a bureaucratic superstate.<\/span><\/p>\n

Ireland was the only country to submit the \u201cReform Treaty\u201d to a popular vote; all other member states of the EU intend to ratify the document through parliamentary procedures. Although by EU law the Irish vote (53.4 percent said \u2018No\u2019 and 46.6 percent said \u2018Yes\u2019) should kill the treaty (because it requires unanimous approval to come into effect), European politicians will almost certainly find a way to keep it alive.<\/span><\/p>\n

One of the main objectives of the virtually unreadable treaty is to turn the EU into a \u201cglobal geopolitical actor<\/a>\u201d that can counterbalance the United States on the world stage. To achieve this, European elites say the EU needs to speak with \u201cone voice\u201d in international affairs. In this context, the new treaty is designed to create the job position of (an unelected) European president as well as a powerful European foreign minister. It would also establish a European diplomatic corps with European embassies and a European army.<\/span><\/p>\n

As many observers of European politics know, democracy does not come easy on a continent where European elites view themselves as an aristocracy entitled to rule over the ignorant masses. Indeed, the entire European social welfare state has been built upon the unspoken quid pro quo of \u201cbread and circuses\u201d (ie, the cradle-to-grave nanny state) for the general populace, in exchange for their loyal submission to the political and intellectual classes.<\/span><\/p>\n

Thus it should come as no big surprise that the word \u2018No\u2019 does not exist in the European political lexicon. After voters in France<\/a> and the Netherlands<\/a> rejected the European Constitution (of which the Lisbon Treaty is an almost exact replica) in 2005, European elites famously advised the miscreants to keep voting until they come up with the right answer<\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n

So how about this time around? Will European politicians, who say they want to bring \u201cEurope\u201d closer to the people, accept the will of Irish voters?<\/span><\/p>\n

What follows is a brief summary of comments made by select European leaders, both before and after the Irish referendum. It not only provides an explanation as to why Irish voters are turned off by the Lisbon Treaty, but it also sheds some light on the state of democracy in contemporary Europe.<\/span><\/p>\n

Before the referendum:<\/span><\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n