EUROPE:JOSÉ MANUEL Barroso, European Commission president, thanked Ireland for voting Yes and called on Poland and the Czech Republic to complete ratification of the Lisbon Treaty.
Ratifying the treaty should enable the Republic to restore its standing at the heart of the European project and wield more influence, he said on Saturday. “My message today is very simple. Thank you Ireland: it’s a great day, for Ireland and for Europe. The Irish people have spoken. They have said a resounding Yes to Europe,” he told reporters at a press briefing in Brussels.
He said the three EU institutions – parliament, council and the commission – would issue a communication next week regarding pushing together to have the Lisbon Treaty ratified as soon as possible. But a proposal to hold an emergency summit to pressurise the Czech Republic has been dropped.
“There is no need for an extra meeting. We have a summit at the end of October, and that might be perfect timing for this kind of discussion,” said Swedish prime minister Fredrick Reinfeldt, whose country holds the EU presidency.
Europe’s top civil servant, Irishwoman Catherine Day, secretary general of the European Commission, said she was thrilled the result was so convincing. Jerzy Buzek, president of the European Parliament, said it was good news for Ireland and Europe. He said, “We should also think about those who were answering No because it is our habit and it is our custom to think about all Europeans.”
GERMANY
Ireland’s Yes vote was a welcome gift for Chancellor Angela Merkel on Saturday’s national holiday. The German leader was effusive, if brief, in her praise for Taoiseach Brian Cowen and Irish voters. “It’s an important step on the journey towards the Lisbon Treaty. May I say, Germany is very happy about the referendum result on its day of unity.”
Political analysts greeted Dr Merkel’s sober German reaction with interest. “It seems she doesn’t want to challenge the rest of the ratification,” said Jan Techau, head of Berlin’s Alfred von Oppenheim Centre for European Studies. Germany’s departing foreign minister, Frank Walter Steinmeier underlined the symbolic importance of the vote for the final two countries yet to ratify, Poland and the Czech Republic.
The Free Democrats (FDP), likely to control the foreign ministry in the next government, called the result a “reason for celebrating, for Ireland and for all of Europe”. The Left Party, which opposes the treaty, said it respected the result of the second referendum, although it viewed a second vote as “flouting the democratic decision” of the first vote.
FRANCE
" L'Irlande dit Oui". "Europe back on track". "All of Europe says 'Bravo' to Ireland".
So ran some of the headlines in the French media, for which the phrase “sigh of relief” has rarely been used more frequently. The French government also allowed itself a pat on the back.
In a statement, President Nicolas Sarkozy congratulated the Irish for “clearly choosing Europe”. “This vote . . . crowns the efforts made notably under the French presidency to bring answers to the preoccupations expressed by the Irish,” the statement continued.
France’s Europe minister, Pierre Lellouche, said he was “relieved and very happy”. “It is an historic moment which closes 20 years of haggling about institutions . . . We now have the toolbox to permit us to move forward.”
At Kitty O’Shea’s pub, website Toute L’Europe.fr organised an afternoon of debate and analysis in front of a large French and Irish audience, as results came in live on RTÉ. Buoyant Irish Ambassador Paul Kavanagh arrived to end the debate. It was a good day for Franco-Irish relations, he said, paying tribute to French efforts to secure Ireland’s guarantees.
POLAND
The Polish government welcomed the result, and called on president Lech Kaczynski to sign the Lisbon Treaty into law in Poland, saying “Europe owes the Irish”.
Mr Kaczynski has held off signing the Lisbon ratification Bill into law until after the Irish vote. Yesterday, a spokesman said the Polish head of state would sign the relevant law “without undue delay”. “But it is difficult at this time to set a specific date and time,” added spokesman Wladyslaw Stasiak. Another presidential aide suggested a signature could be expected this week. If this happens, Poland would be the 26th member state to ratify.
CZECH REPUBLIC
The Yes vote cranked up pressure on Eurosceptic Czech president Vaclav Klaus to sign the Lisbon Treaty. He was quick to declare the treaty dead after Ireland rejected it in last year’s referendum, and he was fiercely opposed to a second Irish vote.
The Czech parliament has ratified the treaty, but Mr Klaus has refused to sign it into law until all other countries have done so and Prague’s constitutional court has ruled on a query lodged last week by senators belonging to the Eurosceptic party founded by the Czech head of state.
Many observers believe Mr Klaus and his allies may seek to postpone final Czech ratification of the treaty until after a British election, in the hope the Conservatives will win and make good on a pledge to hold a referendum on the document. “As you have noticed, I am banned from signing until the constitutional court comes up with something,” Mr Klaus said after Ireland’s Yes in a repeat referendum he called “tarnished”.
The Civic Democrat party said, “After this referendum and the announced completion of the ratification process by the president in Poland, there is no other solution for the Czech Republic but to complete the ratification process.”
BALKANS
The Yes vote was broadly welcomed across central Europe, and reinvigorated hopes in the Balkans of continued EU expansion, something the Lisbon Treaty should facilitate. Serbian foreign minister Vuk Jeremic said: “We all have reason to be happy for the success of the Irish referendum . . . which has opened doors to a Europe that will have space for all European nations, including those from the western Balkans.”
Reports by Jamie Smyth, Derek Scally, Grainne Harrington and Daniel McLaughlin