- PERCEPTIONS: Journal of International Affairs
- Vol: 7 Issue: 3
- EU ENLARGEMENT AS A FACTOR IN IRELAND’S NICE TREATY REFERENDUM
EU ENLARGEMENT AS A FACTOR IN IRELAND’S NICE TREATY REFERENDUM
Authors : John Obrennan
Pages : 0-0
View : 10 | Download : 3
Publication Date : 2002-09-01
Article Type : Other
Abstract :In the aftermath of the shock result of the Nice Treaty referendum in Ireland in June 20011 it was commonly stated that the result did not represent the electorate’s rejection of European Union EU enlargement. In fact both supporters and opponents of the Nice Treaty agreed wholeheartedly on this point. The Taoiseach Irish Prime Minister and his Foreign Minister assured their counterparts in the EU and the candidate states of Central and Eastern Europe CEE that purely domestic factors explained the result –enlargement had not been an issue. Opponents of the Treaty, similarly, couched every public statement with an insistence that they were in favour of enlargement. These claims were treated with some scepticism in the CEE candidate states. Not only would the result complicate the ongoing enlargement negotiations; it might postpone accession indefinitely.Keywords :