EU INTEGRATION:LABOUR MEP Proinsias De Rossa has called on other EU countries not to scapegoat Ireland after the No vote to Lisbon but he said the Irish people now had to decide whether they wished to participate in the EU project or become an associate member like Norway.
Speaking at a meeting of the Socialist Group in the European Parliament in Strasbourg, Mr De Rossa said that, while the success of the No campaign in Ireland was a shock, it clearly reflected a deeper Europe-wide malaise.
"The European political crisis which the No vote in Ireland has given rise to, and which has been received with such dismay by our partners in Europe, must be resolved collectively by all member states," he said.
"For any proposals put forward by the Irish to have any meaning, they must be based on Ireland's internal debate about what the No signifies. Such a debate should seek to establish what a majority of the Irish electorate believe our relationship should be to Europe.
"Do we want to be a full partner, sharing power, responsibilities and benefits, or do we want to be semidetached on the same basis as Norway, for example, which benefits from the single market but has no say in decisions?
"If the former, then we have to identify the treaty modifications which would win majority support in Ireland and which at the same time would be acceptable to the other 26 member states. If the latter, then we negotiate on a completely different basis and the rest of Europe can proceed as it chooses with the Lisbon Treaty."