In the Irish referendum on the Lisbon Treaty, as with the French referendum of May 2005, the real issue had nothing to do with the text that was put to the vote — the ‘no’ campaigners did not criticise it in substance — and nor was it about a so-called ‘divorce’ between ordinary people and the European Union, for the Irish recognise that no other nation has gained so much, financially, economically, politically and indeed historically, from membership of Club Europe. That is clear from all opinion-poll findings as recently as three months ago, and it will be clear again three months from now. So what is the problem?
The real obstacle we have come up against is the method of ratification, which has three crucial flaws.
The first and most glaring – although strangely the least discussed until now – is the requirement of unanimity. A European treaty cannot come into force until it has been signed and ratified by all the Member States. That was workable in a Europe of six nations. With 27 member countries the task becomes near impossible and the fate of Union hangs on the whim of the most Euro-sceptical, or simply the shakiest, government of the day.
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