Lisbon Treaty: Irish Vote to Shape Europe's Future

Ireland votes today on its future as a member of the European Union as it takes to the polls for the second time in two years in a referendum on the Lisbon Treaty. In June 2008, a difference smaller than 200,000 votes swung Ireland, with a population of about 4.5 million people, into opposition against the treaty.

According to the Times newspaper, Ireland' reluctant voters decide the fate of the Lisbon treaty on behalf of half a billion people.

Fifteen months after the Irish rejected the treaty — a repackaged European constitution previously turned down by French and Dutch voters — an electorate of only three million gets a second chance to block it.

Anxious midwives from Brussels will be monitoring Dublins pulse. The anti-establishment underdogs won last time, but fears over the economy have played the greatest role in this campaign, the Times writes. It is on the uncertain foundations of arguments about Irish recovery that the direction of EU expansion and integration is being decided.

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[EUXTV]

How come the arguments of the no-voters are so emotional?

[WeAreTheEuropeanz]

The treaty is the same. The legaly binding conditions for Ireland are not.

Education > emotions.

[lulu30something]

RIP REPUBLIC 1921-2009

[dubguy1961]

It should never went to a second vote...corrupt bastards in govt...look after their banker friends,and paedophile clerics...they frightened the shite out of people,with their mantra-vote yes for jobs.The gobshites voted yes[if u were to believe the polls],now look whats happened..every bastard in govt,jumped on every bandwagon over Paddy's day,at our expense,including Mary Harney..only in IRELAND.the land of elected thieves and robbers .

[pimpman50]

And?

[pimpman50]

This will change fuckall...Unfortunately

It would have been nice to bring in the death penalty and a centralised military.

I didn't vote, but to me the no side sound very ill-informed and seem to think fianna fail drew up up the lisbon treaty. I saw a poster in Cork saying "No to NAMA, No to Lisbon" Which shows the level of intelligence they have. The country is fucked either way but if people think Lisbon was the worst thing for Ireland (Which it's not) we can always re-arm the RA!!!

[Beckyposhest]

Sad but there will be no benefits from voting yes.Just wait and see. Poor deluded eejit Yes-I-want-some-of -tha'-too voters. history will teach us...nothing. because this time, ther's no way back and no way out!

go raibh míle maith agat to all you yes-ppl

[taobhchlea]

Enjoy your visit to portugal, if you see any irish people over there piss on them. They'll most likely say thank you.

[taobhchlea]

Well thought out answer, you're obviously a very clever man who thought long and hard about his decision to vote to give un elected corrupt officials complete control over Irish affairs. Go flip some burgers tool.

[waaeaa]

ROMANIAN HUMAN TRAFFICKING INTO IRELAND

3 men will be sentenced in Romania for trafficking Romanians into Ireland for labour exploitation.

Remus Fusteac 41, his son Arthur Sergiu 21, and his nephew, Alexandru 20, were charged with human trafficking, running organised crime syndicate, money laundering and possession of firearms.

They were arrested and charged after a joint investigation by the Gardaí and the police in Romania.

They face up to 15 years in prison.

RTÉ.ie 2/10/09

[taobhchlea]

"Fuck you cunt", is that the best you can do? Bring on the revolution LMAO. There's no rebels left in Ireland, the irish turned on them. Pathetic country.

[forbestain]

i was searching for videos of Lisbon dude and this shit was the first thing i watched, just joking dude

[forbestain]

i was joking man im a pacifist, come on dude don´t kill anybody and be easy. personaly i don´t care one bit about ireland or the EU, i was searching some videos of Lisbon and Portugal and this shit about Ireland is the first thing that came to me, bye dude