Irish turn towards EU enlargement
More than 1.4 million people in Ireland have endorsed the Nice Treaty facilitating EU enlargement. Of the turnout of 48%, 63% were in favour of the treaty and 37% against.
The result was a substantial turnaround from 18 months ago, when the first Nice referendum resulted in 54% of people rejecting the treaty from a turnout of 35%. Unlike the other 15 members of the EU, who ratified the treaty through their parliaments, Ireland was constitutionally bound to a referendum.
The treaty, signed in December 2000, eliminates the national veto in 30 areas, permits a two-speed Europe and formalises the Charter of Fundamental Rights. It also brings defence into EU policy, which was perceived to threaten the neutrality of Ireland and was an issue used effectively by the ‘No’ camp in the first referendum. Ireland eventually secured an EU declaration that it could opt out of military operations.
In a wider context the result is seen as easing the way for the Eastern European countries to join the new EU ‘super-state’. Over the next two years Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Hungary, Malta, Slovakia, Slovenia and Poland will be looking to secure their membership, joined by Romania and Bulgaria and perhaps Turkiye.
