Pressure on Cowen to keep treaty alive
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TAOISEACH Brian Cowen was facing huge pressure from EU leaders last night to save the Lisbon Treaty.
But Mr Cowen seemed at a loss to explain how it could be done, after the 'No' vote in last week's referendum.
Mr Cowen is being urged to present a plan for reviving the treaty at an EU summit in Brussels this week, but he knows that if a second vote were to result in failure, it would bring down, not only the treaty, but his government as well.
EU leaders united over the weekend to insist Mr Cowen had to show how the treaty could be saved, possibly with a re-run of the vote next year and extra guarantees for Ireland.
Signs are emerging that some EU countries would consider forging ahead in a "two-speed Europe", leaving Ireland and others behind.
Two of the most vocal supporters for pushing ahead with the treaty were Jean-Claude Juncker, the prime minister of Luxembourg, and Frank-Walter Steinmeier, the German foreign minister.
Mr Cowen admitted that he had few ideas on how to bridge the seemingly irreconcilable gulf between the 'No' vote and the determination among other states to ratify the treaty.
"My job is to make sure that our interests are not undermined and to try and find ways forward, which are not obvious to me immediately," he said. "I want Europe to try and provide some of the solution as well."
The Taoiseach, who flies to Belfast today for a meeting with US president George W Bush, said his focus would be on trying to make sure the rest of the union did not decide on a common plan that excluded Ireland.
Foreign Affairs Minister Micheal Martin will today appeal to the other EU states for time to resolve the crisis caused by the 'No' vote.
Mr Martin will act as a 'John the Baptist' for Mr Cowen today -- gauging the negative mood at a gathering of EU foreign ministers in Luxembourg.
Although Mr Martin can anticipate a frosty reception, he will not be outlining any path ahead following the treaty's rejection.
Instead, he will give an explanation of the result and say a period of reflection is now required. He will also try to assess to what degree other leaders might be willing to consider renegotiating aspects of the torpedoed treaty. The minister will be listening in particular, to the views of France and Germany. The two EU heavy-hitters want ratification to go ahead in the other 26 countries.
Mr Martin is also expected to hold one-to-one meetings with a number of his counterparts, including the French foreign minister, Bernard Kouchner, Mr Steinmeier and British foreign secretary David Miliband.
French finance minister Christine Lagarde suggested yesterday the EU would soon have another treaty to replace the one rejected by Irish voters. But it would face a further referendum here, which the Government would prefer to avoid.
Implementing the Lisbon Treaty was now "going to be difficult", she said, but Mr Miliband said there was no question of "bulldozing" Ireland into voting again.
He said it was for Mr Cowen to decide on the next move and whether to apply "the last rites" to the treaty. Britain would respect the Irish decision -- but also take its own decision on Lisbon, he said.
"We have got to wait for the Irish Government to decide what they're going to do next."
Labour's Eamon Gilmore said that "it would be disastrous for the country if we were to end up with a two-speed Europe".
The first developments could come on Thursday and Friday at the EU summit in Brussels, which will be attended by Mr Cowen and 26 other EU leaders.
Mr Martin's task today is to listen to the views of the other EU countries and ask them not to rush to any quick judgment.
"There was no plan for a 'No' result. Europe doesn't know where a 'No' leaves the EU, so that needs to be teased out. Micheal Martin will start the first process of finding out," a government source said.
- Fionnan Sheahan and Senan Molony
