Socialist Party Lisbon Result Analysis Online

national | eu | other press Tuesday October 06, 2009 11:25 by Socialist Party - SP & CWI info at socialistparty dot net

Lisbon victory not endorsement for hated government

The Socialist Party's analysis of the Lisbon referendum result, titled: "Lisbon victory not endorsement for hated government" is now online.

A significant 2/1 majority, on a higher turnout, passed the Lisbon Treaty overturning the decision of June 2008. It is clear that the economic crisis served to shift opinion across the board to a yes vote because people felt that passing the Treaty might boost Ireland’s prospects for economic recovery.

Last year Lisbon was rejected because people feared the consequences of the changes it brings to the EU and because of a distrust of the political establishment. For a majority this time around the actual Treaty and its contents were secondary to the economic crisis.

Read it all at link below.

In a well-prepared and financed campaign, the political and business establishment left no stone unturned. There was the carrot, “Yes to Jobs”, Yes for “Recovery”, but then also the stick with threats that a rejection of the Lisbon Treaty for a second time would lead to economic disaster.

As Joe Higgins commented, fear was at the heart of the Yes campaign. The idea was spread that the chief executives of the hugely profitable multinationals were at Dublin airport with their suitcases packed ready to flee in the event of a no vote.

In company after company bosses intervened, by email and directly, with their workforces calling for a yes vote. Any pretence of balance in the media was ended and in the last week of the campaign 65% of articles on Lisbon argued for a yes vote with only 15% supporting the no side.

READ ON AT: http://www.socialistparty.net/lisbon/68-other/260-lisbo....html