Why did the Irish vote to reject the Lisbon Treaty? The question was asked and answered. And the answer was fear of the liberalisation of abortion.
And the Irish get a mention in: Happy Birthday Magna Carta
A Red C poll, on behalf of the Irish Sunday Business Post, has been released showing that simpler and more visceral matters were in the minds of the Irish on June 12. Although the pro-life warnings about abortion were dismissed by the Electoral Commission, 58 percent of those who voted against the treaty believed that it would make abortion more likely in Ireland, against 28 percent who disagreed. Of those who believed Lisbon made abortion more likely, a massive 74 percent voted No, the Sunday Business Post reported.Related Link: Irish Who Voted Against Lisbon Treaty Had Abortion Fears in Mind
A Eurobarometer survey found that fears about the economy or unemployment were not mentioned, and just 1 per cent of survey responses showed the No vote was in response to immigration.
And the Irish get a mention in: Happy Birthday Magna Carta
A Eurobarometer survey found that fears about the economy or unemployment were not mentioned...
ReplyDeleteOf course not. The people of the EU's conservative backwaters know that the more liberal countries will keep sending them money no matter what. Hopefully the liberals holding the pursestrings (Germany, France, Benelux, UK and Scandinavia) will start getting tougher on the conservative beneficiaries of their largesse.
The liberals holding the purse strings of the money ripped off from the conservatives who make it, you mean?
ReplyDeleteOh, and PM--that "conservative backwater"--Ireland, has consistently outperformed your beloved liberal countries in terms of tax reform and productivity.
ReplyDeleteThe "Irish miracle" may have been kick-started with EU funds but the Irish themselves have worked hard and put in place economic policies which have sustained and improved it.
A lesson that socialist NZ failed to absorb.
Wary of abortion eh, they should be, give leftists enough leeway and in no time you'll have abortion on demand, executing the mentally disabled etc.
ReplyDeleteLiberals making money, that's funny. "The liberals holding the purse strings of the money ripped off from the conservatives who make it, you mean?"
That's exactly what it is, see Britain's cost of living is highest in the Western world and Britons have 'no money to cope with recession' as savings hit lowest level for 50 years. Yeah, largesse.
You fellas might want to look up the definition of the word "liberal." Hint: "ACT - the liberal party."
ReplyDeleteHint--a party can employ whatever label it wishes.
ReplyDeleteBut wishing doesn't make it so.
"Liberal" in Australia means something totally different to the same word used in America, for example.
Well said KG.
ReplyDelete...referring to the 4:38pm comment.
ReplyDeleteInterestingly Ireland's two main parties are not split down the traditional left/right divide, but rather on the two sides of the civil war (1922-23) where the Irish people were split on whether to do a deal with the UK or not (the Anglo-Irish Treaty which allowed the six counties of Northern Ireland to remain under British Rule).
Considering their economic turn of fortune over the past 10+ years, it probably goes to show that by not being bound the traditional political ideology, a government can get on and do the job in the best interests of the country.
KG said Oh, and PM--that "conservative backwater"--Ireland, has consistently outperformed your beloved liberal countries in terms of tax reform and productivity.
ReplyDeleteHear, hear, KG.
The Irish deserve a standing ovation! One small country standing up for their morals in the face of the monstrous bullying E.U.
I've linked to you on this, Lucyna.
Aurora, thanks!
ReplyDeleteWhat's also interesting is that Poland is holding out on signing the treaty due to the President just taking his time, even though Parliament has passed it. The comment was that Poland shouldn't be seen in the same league as Ireland. I'll have to see if I can find the article.
Here's the article: Poland risks isolation over reform issue, warns Tusk
ReplyDeleteDonald Tusk, Poland's prime minister, has warned that the country is in danger of becoming isolated on the European stage after the president said he had no plans to sign the Lisbon treaty on EU reform. Lech Kaczynski, the president, said he would not immediately sign the Lisbon treaty even though it has been ratified by parliament. In an interview published in Dziennik, the Polish daily newspaper, yesterday, he said it would be "pointless" to sign the treaty, which was rejected last month by a referendum in Ireland.
Poland's parliament approved the treaty in April after a political battle with the opposition Law and Justice party, which is headed by Jaroslaw Kaczynski, the president's twin brother. Although the Kaczynskis helped negotiate the treaty last year, they have never been very enthusiastic about it, fearing it gives Germany too much power and erodes Poland's independence.
The ratification needs Lech Kaczynski's signature to become valid, but the Polish constitution does not impose a deadline for the president to put pen to paper. Many scholars doubt the legality of the president's position, but the government has few instruments to force him to sign.
Mr Kaczynski, who favours the current way the EU works under the Nice treaty, which gives Poland disproportionate voting power compared with more populous Germany, said that in spite of problems with the Lisbon treaty, the EU continued to function. "Saying that because there is no treaty then there is no Union is not serious," he said.
But Mr Tusk said Poland was in danger of consigning itself to the fringes of Europe because of Mr Kaczynski's reluctance to sign.
"It is hard for us to accept a situation where Poland could needlessly be linked with Ireland, a country which as a result of the referendum decision finds itself in a fairly problematic situation," Mr Tusk said, adding he feared that Poland would be treated by other EU countries as an "unpredictable partner".