The Spanish got a YES, the Dutch and the French got a NO..and the Irish could also get a NO…
Today Irish voters are going to the polls for a referendum on the European Union reform treaty, the Lisbon Treaty. It replaces the failed EU constitution, which was rejected by voters in France and the Netherlands in 2005.
Ireland is the only one of EU’s 27 member states to hold a referendum on the treaty. The plan is for all 27 states to ratify the treaty by the end of this year.
On Europe Today they’re asking, what’s the secret to winning a referendum?
Give us your top tips…
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BBC World Have Your Say 
I support anyone decision to VOTE “NO” on this constituition [sorry for my spelling]….this has many holes in it.
Dennis
Onondaga Community College
Syracuse, New York
United States of America
My top tip? Stop trying to impose political union where this is no unity.
If the EU had stuck to being an economic community instead of becoming a bureaucratic and political nightmare through trying to become a half-way United States of Europe, everyone (except the bureaucrats and politicos) would have been much happier.
I’m an EU supporter through and through, but to put such a question before the electorate is just spelling desaster. This treaty is too long for the average citizen to read and – more importantly – understand it, and the governments are usually making a poor job of explaining what’s important in it. And then to just simply ask for a Yes/No answer??? Most people with common sense will rather say no until they’re convinced otherwise. Once again, politicians haven’t learned a thing.
We in The UK had a referendum on The EEC. Had we have been told at the time what it actually meant I feel The British Public would have voted “NO”. The Government was economical with the truth.
We The British Taxpayers pay The EU £14.2 Billion and get back about £4.2 Billion. What happens to the other £10 Billion? Nobody knows as proper accounts are not kept. I feel this money would be better spent on The British Voter. I feel no benefit from being in The EU.
Ireland Please Vote “NO”. For once let democracy rule!
The thing that is needed to win a referendum is K.I.S.S.
Something that governments have forgotten to do. People do not want the government to poke their noses into every aspect of peoples lives – like Labour are doing in the UK. What they do want is the government to balance the books, keep people relatively safe (without being over-baring) provide healthcare, police, civil liberties which reflect the whole of society, education, etc.
The EU does not reflect UK culture or values, that is why it is failing there. Hopefully Ireland will vote No – and I am pro-European! But Europe should be a trading block as it once was and not a United States of Europe. The UK should hold back her payments to the EU until Europe has 1) an open accounting system 2) rid itself of the C.A.P. Then you can start talking about more integration.
If it is not absolutely clear on what you are voting for, vote NO!
Those who seek power, to meet personal needs, depend on the lack of knowledge in others to gain advantage.
Run another one till you get the answer you want?
Right Vanessa has it; take out all that doesn’t work the first time and do it right. For instance take out any provisions that call for massive vegetable oil production and instead focus on recycling. Or start limiting the amount of shark fishing that’s going on only to send the fins to Asian countries; decimating the shark population and seriously endangering it.
I agree with those thinking that the european commission is power hungry and hugely bureaucratic, I work often for development aid projects and the EC funded ones are disastrous because of mindboggling bureaucratic overload and absurdity.
Furthermore how can EU complain about lack of democract elsewhere when the EC makes sure that nothing it does comes under peoples scrutiny or vote. (only one referendum for lisbon) and that their eurospeak is only understandable by themselves (is it?)
The new democracy is people vote for politicians, and once in power the politicians do not care about peoples opinion. next vote they lie to be reelected. No wonder les and less people vote.
The difference between sheep herding and democracy is that the sheep are not requested to vote for whom is going to eat them.
I used to be enthousiastically pro european… now that it is increasingly legal (UK) to keep people longer in jail without indictment I fear we are going to be ta worse “demo-crasse” than whatever elected dictatorship
So it failed. So what do you do now?
Zak we celebrate! Mind you after so many years of this monster you watch and they will find a way of cheating the people yet again. Never trust The EU.