The Irish 'no' to Nice : Irish attitudes towards the Treaty of Nice

Abstract

In a referendum on June 2001, the people in the Republic of Ireland voted against ratification of the Treaty of Nice. This was the Treaty agreed at the Nice summit in December 2000 that makes the necessary institutional changes to accommodate 12 or more new member states. The Nice Treaty was the fifth referendum held in the country on European matters since 1972. The other 4 referendums passed smoothly but the margin of success was gradually declining. Ireland, a country that gained enormously through its membership with the Union, was the only country that was obliged to hold a referendum to ratify the Nice Treaty. For the first time, Ireland rejected an EU Treaty; with a majority of 53.9% who voted against while 46.1% voted in favour, in a turnout of only 35%. Since the referendum had such a low turnout, it was seen as not representing the Irish population. The government has therefore decided to rerun this referendum on October 19th 2002 as it firmly believes that this Treaty is necessary tor the enlargement of the EU. Ireland's rejection of this Treaty has of course sent shock waves and disillusionment to the other European countries. It was unexpected that Ireland which was considered as the ideal EU member state, to actually vote against such an important EU Treaty. This paper aims to give an understanding on why the Nice Treaty referendum in June 2001 turned out the way it did and what will happen if the Nice Treaty is not ratified. It will examine whether the results of the June 2001 referendum imply that Irish attitudes towards European integration are changing. It will also analyse whether the Irish are particularly against the Nice Treaty or solely against enlargement. Finally, it will question the validity of referenda as a democratic medium in representing people's opinions.