Awkward outcome for party backing both sides
Former taoiseach Garret FitzGerald.
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THE GREEN party faces a difficult future as its high-profile powerbrokers in the Government must now get along with those within their ranks who broke away to campaign for a 'No' vote.
The Lisbon outcome is a serious embarrassment for the party's ministers in particular as they grapple with the fact that many of their own members ignored exhortations and instead remained firmly eurosceptic.
While the Green Party was formally agnostic on the treaty, allowing members to vote and campaign as they wished, the leadership made it clear that they favoured passage of the referendum.
Leader and Minister for the Environment John Gormley calling for a period of reflection in the wake of the No vote.
"The people have spoken," he said. "As committed democrats we accept and respect the outcome of this referendum. But I am personally disappointed with this result. I honestly believed that ratification of the Treaty was in the interest of Ireland and the European Union."
There were "no easy answers to what happens now," he added. "It is clear that there is a disconnect between the EU and ordinary people and that must be addressed."
But he said he was certain that the Irish people, in rejecting the Treaty of Lisbon, had not rejected the European Union.
Canvass
The Greens campaigned against every European treaty since its inception in 1981 as Comhaontas Glas. Former Green MEP Patricia McKenna publicly broke away from the leadership to canvass for a 'No' vote as part of the ad hoc People's Movement or Gluaiseach na Phobaill.
Mr Ryan admitted the result was a major disappointment for everyone on the 'Yes' side.
"We're clearly nervous about change, especially with something that isn't properly explained to us," he said. "But we will continue to work with our partners in international co-operation to protect our economy and interests in the time ahead." He denied the result pointed up cracks in the Green party machine.
"Not at all. In the same way that the Irish people have a Constitution and an obvious regard for it, we in the Greens have an approach which was followed properly. We followed our rules, and it wasn't deeply divisive." He said the greatest mistake of the 'Yes' partners was that they hadn't explained their case in simple terms, with simple ideas, "such as that only 15 players can take part in a football team, not 27 players. That won't work."
He said the both the Government and the Greens had to take time to consider carefully the outcome and to reflect on the reasons. Voter concerns about rising fuel and grocery prices was "all the more reason why we have to be careful about protecting our economy".
- Senan Molony Deputy Political Editor
