Ireland Envoy: Opinion Polls Show Lisbon Treaty Shift

Politics » BULGARIA IN EU | May 25, 2009, Monday // 15:17
Irish Ambassador: Ireland Opinion Polls Show Lisbon Treaty Shift: Ireland Envoy: Opinion Polls Show Lisbon Treaty Shift NO vote Lisbon Treaty campaign posters in central Dublin, Ireland. Photo by EPA/BGNES

The Irish Ambassador to Bulgaria, Geoffrey Keating, has stated that the upcoming referendum on the Lisbon treaty in Ireland is impossible to predict.

In an exclusive interview for Novinite.com Keating stated; "Opinion polls in Ireland currently show a shift in favour of the Lisbon Treaty but I think it is impossible at this stage to predict the outcome of a second referendum but I think it is impossible at this stage to predict the outcome of a second referendum."

Keating said that "the analysis which we conducted after the last referendum showed that many people voted against the Treaty, or failed to vote, because they did not understand it." He added that the reasons for the first referendum failing "included fears about European social policy, in particular about abortion, about threats to our military neutrality and about harmonization of taxes."

Keating concluded; "The Lisbon Treaty was designed to make decision-making in Europe easier and to provide the structures for a larger Union. I think the problems that Bulgaria and Romania are experiencing in implementing aspects of the acquis communautaire show how hard the process is and the importance of adequate preparation for membership."

 

We need your support so Novinite.com can keep delivering news and information about Bulgaria! Thank you!

For full interview with H.E Mr Geoffrey Keating click here

Bulgaria in EU » Be a reporter: Write and send your article
Tags: Geoffrey Keating, Irish Ambassador, Lisbon Treaty

Advertisement
Advertisement
Bulgaria news Novinite.com (Sofia News Agency - www.sofianewsagency.com) is unique with being a real time news provider in English that informs its readers about the latest Bulgarian news. The editorial staff also publishes a daily online newspaper "Sofia Morning News." Novinite.com (Sofia News Agency - www.sofianewsagency.com) and Sofia Morning News publish the latest economic, political and cultural news that take place in Bulgaria. Foreign media analysis on Bulgaria and World News in Brief are also part of the web site and the online newspaper. News Bulgaria