Opposition rejects Lisbon rerun with European elections

THE opposition will strongly oppose any move to hold a second Lisbon Treaty referendum on the same day as the local and European elections next summer.

The suggestion to hold all votes on the same day was made by French President Nicolas Sarkozy, during a private meeting with Taoiseach Brian Cowen, on Monday.

Mr Sarkozy also said that he hopes to present a proposal on the best way forward following the rejection of the treaty by Ireland, during the December meeting of EU leaders in Brussels.

Fine Gael leader Enda Kenny is opposed to the idea of holding a referendum at the same time as local and EU elections.

The party accepts there will be a second Lisbon Treaty referendum at some point in the future. But one source said holding it with elections would cause “mayhem” for politicians and local councillors and “make the campaign itself a nightmare.”

Fine Gael foreign affairs spokesperson Billy Timmins said the move would “only give rise to confusion”.

Deputy Timmins, who attended the roundtable discussions with Mr Sarkozy at the French Embassy on Monday, said: “Doing that would probably ensure a high turnout, which would traditionally suit a Yes vote. But Lisbon put that theory to bed.”

Mr Timmins said Mr Cowen “should have been more firm” in telling the French President that the European elections will take place under the Nice Treaty.

“President Sarkozy on many occasions during his visit outlined how it is necessary that members of the European Union know whether next year’s European elections will take place under the Nice or Lisbon Treaties.

“Mr Sarkozy’s openness and frankness was refreshing and the Irish Government should now reciprocate this by telling him that there will be no referendum rerun before the elections and, thus, the upcoming European elections will operate under the Nice Treaty,” he said.

Labour’s spokesperson on European affairs, Joe Costello, said it would be “very foolish of the Government to make such a proposal” to hold the referendum the same time as elections.

Mr Costello, who was also present at the meeting with the French President, said: “It would be very hard to get the government and opposition parties on the same wave length in relation to any situation while there are local and European elections.

“They would be vying with each other for seats in the European Parliament and locally, so you wouldn’t expect they would all pull together for the referendum.”