Cowen optimistic on Lisbon changes

TAOISEACH Brian Cowen said he was more optimistic of finding a way forward in the Lisbon treaty argument following his meeting with the current president of the EU, Nicolas Sarkozy.

Mr Cowen appeared confident that fellow EU leaders will give him the time and conditions he needs to allow him to put the Lisbon treaty to the Irish people a second time.

On the final leg of his shuttle tour of EU capitals in Paris and Brussels yesterday, he got the vital support of the French president Nicolas Sarkozy.

Mr Cowen hopes to get unanimous agreement at next week’s EU summit to give Ireland legally binding guarantees on neutrality, ethical issues and taxation and that every country retain their commissioner.

These would be the conditions under which Ireland could consider the issue again, the Taoiseach said.

But even while lawyers and diplomats are putting the finishing touches to the Irish case for next Thursday’s summit, fresh problems were being raised.

The Czechs said if Ireland gets a guarantee on tax sovereignty — one of the areas the Taoiseach has sought confirmation on — they may look for the same.

The Czech vice prime minister for EU affairs, Alexandr Vondra said: “If the Irish get the guarantee on tax sovereignty, we should very seriously think about it too.”

This could open the way to other countries wanting similar guarantees on other issues, especially the Poles whose president has yet to sign the Lisbon treaty.

The Taoiseach, who spent a little over an hour with Mr Sarkozy at the Eylsée Palace yesterday, also took a swipe at Charlie McCreevy, now Ireland’s commissioner.

Mr McCreevy was quoted in Hot Press magazine as saying the Irish no vote had to be respected as people did take the issue seriously.

Mr Cowen said: “The matter of a referendum is a matter for the Government based on what way we can advance the issues with our member state colleagues.

“My first and only consideration is our national interest and it is important that we live up to our obligations as members of the union, working with colleagues to find a solution for the whole of the EU,” he said.

Over the past two weeks the Taoiseach has called on the prime ministers of Sweden, Finland and Luxembourg, Germany’s chancellor and yesterday, Mr Sarkozy and EC president Jose Manuel Barroso.