ANALYSIS:FINE GAEL intends playing a full part in the Lisbon Treaty referendum campaign - but there was a time when the softly-softly approach was seen as the best way for the Yes side to win a European referendum. It has to be said that this minimalist approach to campaigning suited some politicians very well, writes Deaglán De Bréadún.
Dáil deputies have a natural inclination to be all things to all men and women.
Taking a zealously pro-EU approach might alienate a section of your electorate who would consequently be less likely to support you afterwards in the all-important general election.
It's a question of survival.
To be fair to Fine Gael, it was always the least likely to adopt that approach. The press conference at the Shelbourne Hotel in Dublin yesterday showed the main Opposition party adopting the typically robust pro-EU stance that it has taken in all referendums in this area, down through the years.
Party leader Enda Kenny was in fighting form, pledging that Fine Gael would "put the country first again" (shades of the 1970s election slogan, "Cosgrave puts the nation first") and issuing a rallying-cry to the voters: "This is about yourself, your children, your country and our place in Europe."
Dublin MEP Gay Mitchell, who is running the Fine Gael campaign, was outbidding even his party leader in the rhetoric stakes.
Contrasting the current peaceful method of unifying Europe with the horrors of the Nazi era, he dramatically declared: "We're doing it without Panzer divisions and gas chambers."
Nevertheless, there are indications that all is not well regarding Lisbon at the grassroots level in the party. Polling and anecdotal evidence suggests that many ordinary Fine Gael supporters are confused and could very well end up voting No to the treaty.
In addition, Fine Gael has strong roots in the farming community and recent threats from farm organisations that they may vote No because of concerns about the world trade talks have sown further confusion.
Kenny went out of his way to discourage Fine Gael supporters from using the vote on June 12th to deliver a rabbit-punch to the current Government.
He strongly advised them to "hold their fire" until next year's local and European elections.
There is a strikingly new dimension to the No campaign this time, with the participation of high-profile businessmen Declan Ganley and Ulick McEvaddy.
Fine Gael's Lucinda Creighton has challenged their political motivation, suggesting that they were influenced by commercial links with the US defence establishment.
Creighton further declared that, "US foreign policy has traditionally been opposed to EU integration."
The Dublin South East TD's remarks created transatlantic ripples in the form of a Washington Timesreport on what the paper called "Fine Gael's anti-American statement".
The article quoted a US state department official as pointing out that President Bush had strongly supported EU and Nato expansion into eastern Europe in recent years.
However, Creighton's party leader yesterday failed to endorse the views of his spokeswoman on European affairs, or to speculate about the anti-Lisbon motives of the gentlemen in question, despite persistent and repeated questioning from the media.
Ganley has suggested that anyone who read even part of the treaty could not possibly vote for it and McEvaddy has highlighted the extremely dense and complex nature of the document, dismissing it as "unintelligible drivel".
However, Fine Gael MEP Jim Higgins countered yesterday with a reading from a routine but very complex piece of Dáil legislation, arguing that just because a document is hard to understand doesn't mean it is a bad thing.
Perhaps the key point made by Kenny was the need for Fianna Fáil leader Brian Cowen to step up to the plate and lead a strong and vigorous Yes campaign: up to now Minister of State for European Affairs Dick Roche has been conducting virtually a one-man campaign on behalf of the Government.
There is a fairly widespread view in Leinster House and in political circles generally that a very active Yes campaign will be needed to ensure the treaty is passed.
But some observers are quite blasé about prospects for the Yes side: there is plenty of time left and when the juggernaut gets going it will sweep the No side away.