Ireland voted yesterday in a crunch second referendum on the EU’s Lisbon Treaty, which EU leaders hope will reverse a “no” vote and end the bloc’s political deadlock.
Three million voters in Ireland will virtually decide the future of the treaty intended to streamline decision-making for the EU’s 500 million citizens. After rejecting the treaty in June last year, polls now say Ireland will embrace the change.
Irish Prime Minister Brian Cowen has warned that another rejection would marginalize Ireland in Europe and damage its attempts to reverse a sharp recession, and leaders across Europe are anxiously watching the poll. Most want an end to the constitutional deadlock gripping the EU since 53.4 percent of Irish voters rejected the treaty.
“The referendum campaign is over and it’s now your turn to have your say,” Cowen wrote in the Irish Sun newspaper. “We need a ‘Yes’ to build a positive future for Ireland. A ‘Yes’ is a vote for jobs and growth because it helps keep Ireland’s position as a place to invest, and because it makes the EU better able to help us. These are hard times and Ireland needs a Europe which works better to help us. The future of our country is in your hands.”
Businessman Declan Ganley, the leading figure in the “No” camp, wrote: “The truth about this treaty is it’s great for politicians and bad for us. In the face of bullying, strong-arming and thug tactics from the ‘Yes’ side, we can stand up and strike a blow for the ordinary people.”
A total of 3,078,032 Irish citizens are eligible to vote. The polls close at 10pm.
Citizens on some remote western islands voted on Wednesday and Thursday, in case bad weather prevented ballot boxes from being brought back to the mainland. Returning officers estimated a 40 percent turnout on Wednesday.
The final opinion poll before the vote, in the Sunday Business Post newspaper, put support for the treaty at 55 percent, with 27 percent planning to vote against.
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