Ireland's Yes makes headline news in Europe

"Bravo Ireland!" was the front-page headline of Poland's leading daily newspaper, Gazeta Wyborcza.

"Bravo Ireland!" was the front-page headline of Poland's leading daily newspaper, Gazeta Wyborcza.

"Every crisis in Europe is the way to improve mass awareness of the EU," said the newspaper's Brussels correspondent.

"Irish voters surrender to Propaganda" is how Nasz Dziennik, a radical Catholic newspaper, saw the result. It urged its readers to "Just say No to Europe" and the "so-called process of enlargement.

"I urge Poles not to pay attention to the result of the Irish referendum," wrote one former EU advisor in Poland in the newspaper.

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The conservative newspaper Rzeczpospolita said: "Many opponents of the treaty say they lost because of No campaigner Justin Barrett, who The Irish Times revealed had met with the chiefs of extreme-right groups in Germany and Italy."

The Eesti Päevaleht newspaper in Estonia asked: "Did we really want this kind of Estonia, where our future and our children's future would be decided upon somewhere in a smoky pub in Dublin behind a pint of Guinness and a glass of whiskey?

"Thanks to the decision of the Irish . . . we will soon be able to decide whether we want to access the EU or not."

The Postimees newspaper said the first rejection of Nice "seemed like an Armageddon" to Estonia's EU hopes. But this time around, "the Irish give their blessing to Nice".

Latvia Diena, Latvia's largest daily, said Ireland "should be congratulated for this decision". In an editorial, the newspaper said the Irish referendum "demonstrates the impact of one small country in the EU".

Dienas Bizness, Latvia's business newspaper, stressed that "there are now other issues to be solved on the way to EU enlargement such as agricultural subsidies and the Dutch government crisis." The Telegraf, a large Russian-language newspaper said: "The Irish have saved the EU".

In Lithuania, The Baltic News Service (BNS) said: "Lithuania applauds Ireland's Yes vote to EU enlargement".

The report quoted the President, Mr Valdas Adamkus: "This is a clear political signal for member states and candidate countries . . . that Ireland wants the European Union to enlarge."

The Foreign Minister, Mr Antanas Valionis, told the BNS: "Today we see that Irish people do not only appreciate the benefits of their country's EU membership but also understand the expectations of hopeful members."

The Slovenian daily newspaper Veèer said: "The Irish have opened the door to Europe." "The uncertainty ended at 17.04 when the Reuters press agency broadcast to the world the good news for EU members and the candidate counties, including Slovenia."

The reaction of Maltese press was unambiguous: "Yes, yes, yes!" was the editorial headline in the Times of Malta.

"Despite the strong campaign for a 'no' vote, Ireland . . . finally chose to take the right direction and in the words of the country's prime minister, Bertie Ahern, remains at the heart of Europe."

The headline in the Hungarian newspaper Nepszabadsag, proclaimed "The Irish Let Themselves Be Persuaded".

"The result is a great relief to all believers in the EU," said the newspaper editorial.

"The Irish Nation Says a Loud Yes" was the headline in the Magyar Hirlap newspaper. The newspaper quoted Mr Laszlo Kovacs, the foreign minister: "The Irish passed the exam on solidarity with good grades."

Derek Scally

Derek Scally

Derek Scally is an Irish Times journalist based in Berlin