Monday, September 14
By Eanna Kelly
"Fear can hold you prisoner…hope can set you free"
Okay, I am being a little hyperbolic, but the Lisbon Treaty….just got interesting! Declan Ganley- the moral arbiter of the nation- is back! Cue the ‘hissing’ from the Yes campaigners and the 'hoorahs' from the No campaigners. For the No-ites, he is the champion pitted against the evil elites and for the Yes-ites he is a pesky non-conforming rogue. Ganley’s web-page espouses a ‘fight for democracy’- who will follow him this time?
I am undecided on how to vote. Soundbites swirl around me and create a nauseating effect. I have not proceeded through the mist and reached a point where I can discern what is fear-mongering drivel and what is fact. For instance, does "a cohesive European voice on the world stage" mean ‘imperialist military superstate’?? I have a lot of questions to ask Jeeves.
My biggest problem is crippling laziness. The Lisbon text is there to be read- although I am informed that it is virtually unintelligible- so I have the opportunity to get informed. Whilst talking to my friends on the issue, I usually prefer to borrow other people’s words….that is to say I have not put in any ground work of my own.
I can break it down to a simple rationale: Yes, Europe has made Ireland stronger; it has provided us with plenty. There are niggling nuggets of information floating around, though, that I cannot ignore…is Europe heading towards a more federalist structure, and is such a thing desirable? The Commission already has large independent powers...will these be successfully harnessed in the future?
Coupled with these doubts, I have a slight anarchistic naughtiness playing in my head, specifically, what would happen if the No vote passed?? I can envisage Michael Martin entering a room full of expectant European elites, eyes lowered, an apologetic shrug followed by awkward dialogue: "The Irish electorate huh, bunch of cheeky scamps, what are we going to do with them??" I mean, were the No vote passed, we would certainly face a dwindling level of respect and, more importantly, power. Sarkozy and co. already alienate the minnows of Europe with their G5 and G6 meetings; such ostracising is bound to continue.
For the moment though, my message is simple: trust no one! Civil war values are back- members of my family are expressing fixed viewpoints and are expectant that I will comply. My quest for truth and virtue continues...
Showing posts with label Lisbon Treaty. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Lisbon Treaty. Show all posts
Friday, September 18
Monday, September 14
No excuse
By Grace Campbell
When the Lisbon Treaty was not passed the first time, one of the biggest reasons for young people voting against the treaty was due to a lack of information on what it consisted of and what effects it had for Ireland. The government was blamed for not placing enough emphasis on the treaty. However, young people should have looked at the effort they themselves had made to become familiar with the Treaty’s contents.
This time around, there is no excuse. Posters, leaflets and websites have been set up in abundance to inform and educate Irish citizens about Europe and the Lisbon Treaty. The people of Ireland have been given every opportunity to find out about the treaty and cannot use a lack of information as a reason to vote No or not vote at all.
Campaigns for the Yes and No vote have been criticised for over-dramatising the contents of the Treaty and its impact on Ireland’s future but the onus is on people themselves to make their own choice about the Treaty and not to just listen to the opinions of political parties.
“TalktoEU” (http://www.talktoeu.ie/) is a website and Facebook page, which allows people to ask questions about the EU and make comments about EU issues. The mission of the page is “To inform people about the EU and what it does, and can do for you, using clear and simple facts.”
Photo albums on the page include "Who is who of the EU Commission" and a recent discussion on the page was “
Monday, September 7
Will it be a No from the East?
By Grace Campbell and Kate Manning
The upcoming Lisbon Treaty referendum gives young people a second opportunity to voice their opinion on Ireland's relationship going forward with Europe. The result of the referendum is not a foregone conclusion as recent opinion polls have shown. Young people in the East constituency chose their MEPs back in June and now have to make another trip back to the polling booth. Three young people from the East share their reasons as to why they are voting No on October 2nd:
Peter, who is 21 years of age and in college, is adamant that he is voting no in the referendum. "I don't know why we have to go through all of this again," said Peter. "The Irish people voted, they chose no and that decision should be respected. It's as if the government will keep making us vote until we eventually say yes and I believe that is completely unfair." Although Peter believes the second referendum should not be taking place he will exercise his vote regardless. "I think it's important for me to vote, otherwise the yes campaign will win if everyone who shares my opinion doesn't bother to fill out their ballot paper," he said.
Heather is a 23 year old from Meath who recently finished college and has had no success in securing employment so far. "The government says that by agreeing to the Lisbon Treaty that more jobs will be created but I feel they are only saying this in order to push the treaty through. There is no concrete evidence that saying Yes or No to Lisbon will guarantee jobs to anyone so I don't know why this is being used as part of the campaign," she said. Heather has not fully decided which way to vote but is currently swayed towards voting No. "I'm probably taking my anger out on the government by voting against them but I'm just fed up of the situation I'm in and find it very hard to agree with any decisions they make."
John is 20 years of age and has the same opinion as Heather. He is in the workforce and has discussed the pros and cons of the Lisbon Treaty with fellow work colleagues in Kildare. "There definitely has been a lot more effort this time around with informing the public about what the Lisbon Treaty has to offer but I'm not convinced that Lisbon will benefit Ireland and I think the Yes campaign is completely exaggerating the benefits of passing it," said John. "I know Ireland's relationship with Europe is important but there are other domestic issues that should be resolved first."
The next few weeks will see both campaigns for and against the Treaty come into full swing. Informing yourself about the Lisbon Treaty is key. Whatever your decision is, make sure you use your vote on October 2nd.
Will it be a Yes from the East?
By Kate Manning and Grace Campbell
The young voters of Ireland face a tough decision. No, not what flavour Pot Noodle to get, but one which could essentially determine their future as Europeans. Whether you are for or against this Treaty, get the correct information before you vote. A good place to start is http://www.lisbontreaty2009.ie/ or http://www.europeanmovement.ie/, where you will find clear, concise and waffle-free information. Ignore the posters, ignore the politicians and just vote on the facts.
Three young voters from the East Constituency share why they will vote Yes on October 2nd. Michael is 21 and from Newbridge in Kildare. “A friend of mine is very active in politics and she gave me information on what the Treaty is about. After reading up on it I was amazed at the difference between the facts and the rumours. I thought this Treaty would bring abortion into the country and that I would be conscripted into an EU army. It’s crazy how many lies are being told. If I hadn’t read up on it I probably would be voting No.” Michael gave information to his friends and encouraged them to read before they made a decision. “Now around ten of my mates are voting Yes.”
Marie is 19 and from Carlow. She is preparing to return to UCD for her second year as an Arts student. “My family are all voting Yes for the second time. The stuff that is on the posters makes me want to vote Yes even more... it’s not true so why would I vote the way they want us to?” Marie fears the reception Ireland will get in Europe if the No side succeed will be “devastating especially for people our age... we were born into Europe and benefited from it so far, so we should cooperate.”
James from Athy is 24 and in full time employment. “I voted No the last time around probably because I was afraid of what would happen to Ireland. Some said we would lose our influence in Europe... I didn’t know who to believe...and couldn’t find the facts.” Recently James decided to vote Yes because of the guarantees that were sought by the Irish Government. “Any worries I had were sorted by the guarantees...and I accept this Treaty will make Europe more efficient.” James has since become active on Boards.ie and Politics.ie telling other younger voters why he has changed his mind. “There is still a lot of uncertainty among young people but I have been telling them what sites to go on and what is or isn’t fact.”
Public debate over the next few weeks will feature claims however ridiculous from both sides urging voters to side with them to secure Ireland’s future. While the excitement of this referendum will keep voters enthralled, it is imperative to be aware of the facts. Separate the typical election drivel from what this Treaty really involves and bear in mind that for every decision made there will be a consequence.
Thursday, June 11
Life after Libertas
By Dónal Hassett
Few political obituaries provoked as much interest in the wake of this week's Euro-elections as that of the ever-controversial Libertas leader Declan Ganley. Ganley, who burst onto the political scene as leader of, and infamously, chief financier of Libertas' No to Lisbon campaign, is now licking his wounds from his brief and colourful, but ultimately unsuccessful, foray into Irish politics. The Libertas ‘pan-European’ party, Ganley’s brainchild, failed spectacularly in a European elections which saw an increase in support for virtually all right-wing Eurosceptic parties except those standing under the Libertas banner. While party supporters had predicted upwards of 100 seats, the final result was dismal- just one MEP, French ultra-conservative Phillipe de Villiers, was returned to the Parliament for the party. Where did all go wrong for the Ganleyites and their dream of converting Ireland’s No to Lisbon into a Yes to Libertas?
Undoubtedly, Libertas in Ireland was seeking to tap into a resevoir of conservative Catholic traditionalist voters. Ganley’s candidacy in the North West constituency sought to attract the substantial support base of former MEP Dana Rosemary Scallon who stood on a platform of social conservatism and Euroscepticism. In an effort to woo her voters, Ganley attacked his main rival, Independent MEP Marian Harkin by alleging her allies in the European Parliament were all pro-abortion, attempting to undermine Harkin’s self-professed “social conservatism”. However this move backfired when it emerged that a leading candidate for Libertas in the Netherlands had strong links to pro-abortion and even pro-euthenasia groups. While Dana’s endorsement, arriving late as it did, did indeed bouy up the Ganley campaign, it proved too little too late for what was to be an expensive experiment in Irish politics.
What can the Libertas experience tell us about Irish voters? Firstly, it seems evident that the resevoir of conservative Catholic voters is slowly being eroded in the newly modernised Irish society. Not only did Libertas candidates fail to secure any seats but also Kathy Sinnot, who shares many conservative ideals with Ganley and Dana, lost her seat in the South constituency.
Secondly, these elections show up the ideological divide within the anti-Lisbon campaign. In television interviews from the count centre, Ganely expressed confidence that transfers from the Sinn Féin candidate would narrow the gap between him and the leading candidates. However, transfer rates showed little distinction between pro- and anti-Lisbon candiadtes, in this most anti-Lisbon part of the country. Clearly Sinn Fein's left-wing republican voters saw no great attraction in voting for a conservative pro-enterprise candidate (with an English accent as it happens!)
Finally, the failure of the Libertas campaign was a failure for the kind of expensive and negative campaigning often practiced in America. Ganley’s highly personalised attacks on candidates, a policy echoed by the party’s candiadtes in Dublin (Caroline Simons) and in East (Raymond O’Malley), seem not to have gone down well with the Irish electorate. Simons’ constant barracking of other candiates during a radio debate was very unpopular, while O’Malley’s solo run on ‘blue cards’ for ‘foreign’ workers did not go down well in border areas. No amount of money and slick media advisors could cover these candidates’ gaffes.
The Libertas experience, while a colourful sideshow in these elections, should reassure mainstream politicians that personal attacks and negative campaigning appeals only to a marginal constituency of the Irish electorate. This electoral failure also augurs well for the pro-Lisbon campaign.
Few political obituaries provoked as much interest in the wake of this week's Euro-elections as that of the ever-controversial Libertas leader Declan Ganley. Ganley, who burst onto the political scene as leader of, and infamously, chief financier of Libertas' No to Lisbon campaign, is now licking his wounds from his brief and colourful, but ultimately unsuccessful, foray into Irish politics. The Libertas ‘pan-European’ party, Ganley’s brainchild, failed spectacularly in a European elections which saw an increase in support for virtually all right-wing Eurosceptic parties except those standing under the Libertas banner. While party supporters had predicted upwards of 100 seats, the final result was dismal- just one MEP, French ultra-conservative Phillipe de Villiers, was returned to the Parliament for the party. Where did all go wrong for the Ganleyites and their dream of converting Ireland’s No to Lisbon into a Yes to Libertas?
Undoubtedly, Libertas in Ireland was seeking to tap into a resevoir of conservative Catholic traditionalist voters. Ganley’s candidacy in the North West constituency sought to attract the substantial support base of former MEP Dana Rosemary Scallon who stood on a platform of social conservatism and Euroscepticism. In an effort to woo her voters, Ganley attacked his main rival, Independent MEP Marian Harkin by alleging her allies in the European Parliament were all pro-abortion, attempting to undermine Harkin’s self-professed “social conservatism”. However this move backfired when it emerged that a leading candidate for Libertas in the Netherlands had strong links to pro-abortion and even pro-euthenasia groups. While Dana’s endorsement, arriving late as it did, did indeed bouy up the Ganley campaign, it proved too little too late for what was to be an expensive experiment in Irish politics.
What can the Libertas experience tell us about Irish voters? Firstly, it seems evident that the resevoir of conservative Catholic voters is slowly being eroded in the newly modernised Irish society. Not only did Libertas candidates fail to secure any seats but also Kathy Sinnot, who shares many conservative ideals with Ganley and Dana, lost her seat in the South constituency.
Secondly, these elections show up the ideological divide within the anti-Lisbon campaign. In television interviews from the count centre, Ganely expressed confidence that transfers from the Sinn Féin candidate would narrow the gap between him and the leading candidates. However, transfer rates showed little distinction between pro- and anti-Lisbon candiadtes, in this most anti-Lisbon part of the country. Clearly Sinn Fein's left-wing republican voters saw no great attraction in voting for a conservative pro-enterprise candidate (with an English accent as it happens!)
Finally, the failure of the Libertas campaign was a failure for the kind of expensive and negative campaigning often practiced in America. Ganley’s highly personalised attacks on candidates, a policy echoed by the party’s candiadtes in Dublin (Caroline Simons) and in East (Raymond O’Malley), seem not to have gone down well with the Irish electorate. Simons’ constant barracking of other candiates during a radio debate was very unpopular, while O’Malley’s solo run on ‘blue cards’ for ‘foreign’ workers did not go down well in border areas. No amount of money and slick media advisors could cover these candidates’ gaffes.
The Libertas experience, while a colourful sideshow in these elections, should reassure mainstream politicians that personal attacks and negative campaigning appeals only to a marginal constituency of the Irish electorate. This electoral failure also augurs well for the pro-Lisbon campaign.
Tuesday, June 2
Hands up if you love Lisbon!
By Ruth Feeley
Time is running out and decisions need to be made. This time last year, every Irish conversation couldn’t but touch on the big L-word, i.e. Lisbon. This year, Lisbon seems to have taken a back seat, mores the pity as it should play a big role as to whom we choose to represent us on the European platform.
Last year, leading Irish political parties took a major blow in a European context when the people of Ireland rejected the treaty. Ireland was regarded as an embarrassment to Europe as well as ungrateful and foolish. MEPs were supposedly given the cold shoulder in the aftermath of what many regarded as a misinformed Irish decision. While surveys would show that the no campaign has taken a knock in the last year with people realising that we are in a royal mess and we may very well have to return to Europe with our tails between our legs for help, the jury is still out on whither a yes vote will be returned next time around.
Now is the time to make up our minds for once and for all because it might be worth taking your stance on Lisbon into account when choosing an MEP on Friday.
Green Party MEP candidate Senator Deirdre De Burca today urged voters to choose their third European Parliament representative with great care. She advised voters to choose someone committed to a properly re-negotiated Lisbon Treaty and sensible economics aimed at growth and jobs. De Burca went on to voice her predictions based on the feedback she has received while out canvassing. She feels that two of the three seats are practically secure for Labour candidate Proinsias De Rossa and Fine Gael candidate Gay Mitchell. Seeing as the Dublin constituency are having their seats reduced from four to three, she feels that only one seat is up for grabs and people should make that all important choice with a pro–Lisbon idea in mind.
She argues that it both Joe Higgins and Mary-Lou Mc Donald shouldn’t be given consideration as they are still insisting on a no vote to Lisbon, which brings it down to herself and Fianna Fáil candidate Eoin Ryan. She says, “He (Eoin Ryan) is a decent man and a good politician. But he's also a long-time part of the political system, which over the last decade created the mess we are now in.”
Either way, we would be selling ourselves short to vote on anything again without knowing some background information. We can’t accuse politicians this time of not making their stance clear. If the Irish people bothered to actually read up on the Lisbon Treaty rather than waiting to be spoon fed, we might garner a more profitable result this time round. We had no one to really blame last time but ourselves. We have more control than we think, so rather than sitting around complaining about our government and European representation, we should get up off our backsides, inform ourselves and choose accordingly.
Time is running out and decisions need to be made. This time last year, every Irish conversation couldn’t but touch on the big L-word, i.e. Lisbon. This year, Lisbon seems to have taken a back seat, mores the pity as it should play a big role as to whom we choose to represent us on the European platform.
Last year, leading Irish political parties took a major blow in a European context when the people of Ireland rejected the treaty. Ireland was regarded as an embarrassment to Europe as well as ungrateful and foolish. MEPs were supposedly given the cold shoulder in the aftermath of what many regarded as a misinformed Irish decision. While surveys would show that the no campaign has taken a knock in the last year with people realising that we are in a royal mess and we may very well have to return to Europe with our tails between our legs for help, the jury is still out on whither a yes vote will be returned next time around.
Now is the time to make up our minds for once and for all because it might be worth taking your stance on Lisbon into account when choosing an MEP on Friday.
Green Party MEP candidate Senator Deirdre De Burca today urged voters to choose their third European Parliament representative with great care. She advised voters to choose someone committed to a properly re-negotiated Lisbon Treaty and sensible economics aimed at growth and jobs. De Burca went on to voice her predictions based on the feedback she has received while out canvassing. She feels that two of the three seats are practically secure for Labour candidate Proinsias De Rossa and Fine Gael candidate Gay Mitchell. Seeing as the Dublin constituency are having their seats reduced from four to three, she feels that only one seat is up for grabs and people should make that all important choice with a pro–Lisbon idea in mind.
She argues that it both Joe Higgins and Mary-Lou Mc Donald shouldn’t be given consideration as they are still insisting on a no vote to Lisbon, which brings it down to herself and Fianna Fáil candidate Eoin Ryan. She says, “He (Eoin Ryan) is a decent man and a good politician. But he's also a long-time part of the political system, which over the last decade created the mess we are now in.”
Either way, we would be selling ourselves short to vote on anything again without knowing some background information. We can’t accuse politicians this time of not making their stance clear. If the Irish people bothered to actually read up on the Lisbon Treaty rather than waiting to be spoon fed, we might garner a more profitable result this time round. We had no one to really blame last time but ourselves. We have more control than we think, so rather than sitting around complaining about our government and European representation, we should get up off our backsides, inform ourselves and choose accordingly.
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