The EU and Ireland

I have absolutely no experience with the EU, that's my disclaimer for this post. But I do think I'm rather astute when it comes to politics. I'd better be as a political science major who has taken some comparative politics.

The EU is a completely different beast than it was in the 70s. The number member states has gone from 6 to 27. That's one of the big reasons for the Lisbon Treaty, the newest update to EU laws. While what it really does is different based on who you talk to, it seems like a treaty that changes many administrative procedures of the EU that has a minor impact on its substantive powers.

Every country in the EU has ratified or signed the Treaty, except IRELAND!!!! Because the Irish are super protective of everything Irish and Gaelic, there is a catch-all in the Irish Constitution that makes things like the Lisbon Treaty have to pass a referendum. So, like the stubborn people the Irish are, they failed it. The whole EU, and world for that matter, went WTF Ireland?!?!? You've been the favorite son of the EU and know you're rebelling or something?

It probably would have passed, or so it seems to me, except the ruling party Finna Fail didn't campaign for the YES! vote, so you only heard the Sinn Fein type of nationalists shouting NO!! Since it didn't pass the first time, they're trying again (since when you do you get second chances like that?). In October Lisbon 2 goes down. It's like Rumble in the Jungle 2. This time, both sides are at each others' throats. The top 4 parties in Parliament have endorsed a YES!! vote, but there are some really devout Catholics who are complaining and fringe right-wing elements up in arms. Everybody I've talked to thinks it ridiculous that it is even an option to vote no, that it's necessary and desirable to vote yes. They are all very well-educated, though, so I suspect that there may be divide in support between lifestyles - educated in the service industry and blue collared in more labour-oriented jobs. It doesn't help that the EU makes everything as complicated as they can.

There is propoganda everywhere. Every lamp post in town has a couple signs on it. Here are some pictures of my favorites:

The favorite. Eirigi is a socialist and nationalist party that hates the Brits and aligns closely with Marxists. They've got bollocks to put up that poster.

This one is pretty typical - yes and no posters on the same pole. The THEY WON YOUR FREEDOM one is my 2nd favorite. The faces are some of the leaders of the Easter Rebellion in 1916 that were martyred for the establishment of a free state of Ireland. The Irish guard their identity and land very closely, since they've been continually invaded and conquered for about 1000 years. All accounts I've heard say that Lisbon, surprisingly enough, will not take away your freedom.

Oh, Ireland, you are so brave doing what 95% of Europeans want to do if they had a chance. Funny that I haven't heard about riots or revolutions anywhere. Chalie McCreevy (the source for the stat) is pro-Lisbon Treaty, by the way.

A typical pro-Lisbon poster.

Another pro.

The vote-no group is so dramatic here. Even though I would probably vote yes if I were a citizen of a country in the EU, I thought I'd make my own vote-no poster.