Ireland will have to vote again on Lisbon, says Sarkozy - The Irish Times - Wed, Jul 16, 2008

FRENCH PRESIDENT Nicolas Sarkozy's declaration that Ireland will have to hold a second referendum on the Lisbon Treaty has caused quiet fury within the Government, just days before he visits Ireland.

During a meeting with deputies from his UMP party at his office in Paris yesterday, Mr Sarkozy, according to quotes from a number of those in attendance, said: "The Irish will have to vote again." The UMP deputies repeated the remarks to journalists waiting outside.

On Monday, the French president will travel to Dublin for a five-hour visit and hold meetings with Taoiseach Brian Cowen. He will also meet some of those from the referendum campaign's Yes and No camps.

The president's advisers did not deny that Mr Sarkozy said Ireland would have to vote again, but six days before the president's July 21st visit to Dublin they attempted to limit the damage.

"It was a closed meeting," a source at the Élysée said. "Therefore, we have no comment about what was said. But it is not at all the president's state of mind to say what was said coming out of this meeting. The president's state of mind is: he accepted, at the invitation of Monsieur Cowen, to go to Ireland to listen and understand the reasons that led the Irish to vote No. He is absolutely not taking a ready-made solution in a suitcase to impose it on the Irish."

Minister for Foreign Affairs Micheál Martin told RTÉ the Government received "subsequent clarification" that Mr Sarkozy "is coming to listen and not to impose a solution". Mr Sarkozy was "entitled to his point of view", Mr Martin said, but he stressed "no option has been decided upon . . . the bottom line is it's up to Ireland to decide".

The idea that the EU might agree to allow all members to keep a permanent commissioner to satisfy Ireland is gaining currency.

A headline in Le Monde newspaper yesterday announced: "The efficiency of the commission could be sacrificed to the Irish."

An adviser to Mr Sarkozy said: "Apparently the fear of losing a commissioner was a factor in the Irish No."

"It is difficult to say in what proportion. Personally, I think it would be catastrophic for the commission to remain as big as it is today. Will that be the price to pay for a new, positive vote by the Irish? I don't know . . . is that what will make the Irish vote Yes? Frankly, I have no idea."

A key question is what text Mr Sarkozy wants the Irish to vote on - the treaty as it is, or with appended declarations to calm Irish fears.

"We don't yet have the information we need from the Irish authorities, who at the same time want to take their time, see how serious things are and know they have to hurry a little," said the adviser at the Élysée. "Should people be asked to re-vote on the same text, or should there be certain statements about things like neutrality, the commission, abortion . . . It's too soon to say."

In Washington, meanwhile, Declan Ganley, the leader of Libertas, one of the leading organisations in the No campaign, said it would be ridiculous and anti-democtatic to have a second Lisbon Treaty referendum but if one was called, he predicted an even larger No vote rejection.

He said that Libertas was raising funds across Europe and was considering turning next year's European Parliament elections into a pan EU proxy vote on the Treaty.