Irish 'Yes' Vote Gets European Support
October 21, 2002
Current and future members of the European Union have welcomed the referendum in the Republic of Ireland that effectively gave the green light to European expansion. The ratification of the Nice Treaty by the Irish vote now sets in motion the process which will lead to the creation of a 25 nation Union in 2004.
After the positive result was confirmed, Irish President Bertie Ahern said, "It's a very important vote for Ireland, for Europe, but mainly for the applicant countries. I think Ireland will be seen in a good light right across eastern and central Europe."
If Ireland had voted against the treaty, the EU would have been forced to draw up a new draft for entry requirements, and the 10 current candidate countries would not have been able to enter the Union by 2004.
Eastern European candidate countries toast Ireland
For those in the candidate countries the result was most warmly received and Ireland was indeed seen as a champion for their cause and eastern enlargement. Polish Prime Minister Leszek Miller raised a glass of traditional Irish stout and declared, "I love you Ireland".
In the Czech Republic, the foreign minister, Cyril Szoboda announced that he thought the Irish decision would embolden the people of his own country to follow by example and support the Nice Treaty. "I believe Czech citizens will now also say yes to the EU after the Irish have said yes to expanding the union," he said.
Svoboda also praised the EU for demonstrating that it was based on "democratic decision-making and that a decision made by a small country carries weight too".
The news of the Irish result was also welcomed by Hungary and Slovakia who also hope to join the European Union in 2004.
Ireland is the only member of the European Union to ratify the treaty by going to the people. All the other members had already approved Nice directly, only Ireland remained as a stumbling block to the enlargement process.
That stumbling block has now effectively been removed. The members-in-waiting: Poland, Hungary, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Slovenia, Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania, as well as Cyprus and Malta, are expected to be asked to join at the Copenhagen summit in December.
Enlargement can proceed without obstacles, says Prodi
President of the European Commission Romano Prodi welcomed the decision of the Irish public and said, "We can proceed with enlargement without any more obstacles." He added that it was time to "get on with finalising preparations for enlargement".
"We are closer to our goal," he said.
Pat Cox, the Irish president of the European parliament, said: "Europe's rendezvous with history cannot be further delayed or postponed. Egoism is out and reconciliation is in."
Current EU leaders were also happy with the result of the Irish vote. Fears that their own approval of the Nice Treaty would be derailed by the only constitutional referendum to decide on enlargement were replaced by widespread praise.
Current EU members praise the decision of the Irish
Gerhard Schröder, the German chancellor, applauded the vote, saying "I welcome the positive result of the Irish referendum on the Nice Treaty. The people of Ireland were aware of their great responsibility to Europe. This decision opens the way for the enlargement of the European Union."
Elsewhere in Europe, the Italian Prime Minister, Silvio Berlusconi, praised the vote as "a fundamental step for the historic process of Europe's reunification". In France, President, Jacques Chirac, said the vote "opens the path to - the unity of our continent".
In Britain, Foreign Secretary Jack Straw said, "We stand on the edge of an historic moment." "It is essential that we all keep our eyes on the prize of a united Europe, " he added.
Although the Irish vote opens the way for the enlargement process, there are possibilities of more problems ahead. "The stakes are high and everyone will have to compromise to make it happen," one senior EU source told the French news agency AFP.