The eyes of all of Europe were directed at Ireland during the Nice referendum, the Prime Minister of Slovenia, Dr Janez Drnovsek, said in Dublin last night.
He was speaking at the opening of the new Slovenian embassy premises in Nassau Street. Dr Drnosvek, who meets the Taoiseach, Mr Ahern, this morning, said it would be a "shock" if the treaty were rejected a second time.
The Minister of State for European Affairs, Mr Dick Roche, said that rejecting the treaty would damage Ireland's international reputation and its relations with the applicant countries.
He said enlargement of the European Union would offer great opportunities for Ireland to increase its level of exports to Slovenia and the other applicant countries. He pointed out that Slovenia had signed a statement with nine other applicant states stressing the importance of ratifying Nice as part of the enlargement process.
Meanwhile, launching its campaign for a No vote on the treaty, the Workers' Party said a referendum was needed to change the rules of the EU, not to change its size. Party research officer, Mr Pádraig Mannion, said that under the Amsterdam Treaty, agreed in 1998, it was possible to admit new members without a new treaty.
Mr John Lowry, speaking on behalf of the party's president, Mr Seán Garland, said the Nice Treaty was not the only blueprint for Europe. "If it is rejected, we should go back to the drawing board and renegotiate with the people of Europe, all the people of Europe," he said. "The other people of Europe had no opportunity to vote on it."
He rejected the suggestion that a No vote was an anti-European vote or support for the position of the British Conservative Party. "This Treaty is bad for Europe, bad for Ireland and bad for the applicant countries," he said. "It further pushes the balance of power towards the bigger states.
"Only this morning there was a decision to allow Germany, Italy and Britain a further two years to balance their books. Contrast that with the treatment of the smaller countries who had to implement cutbacks to balance their books."
He said that current plans for the EU were not aimed at improving the lot of the workers of the applicant countries, but at creating new markets in order to maximise profits.
Campaign manager Mr Andrew McGuinness said the party was also affiliated to the Alliance Against Nice, and would be supporting this campaign.
At the initiative of the Leader of the House, Ms Mary O'Rourke, the Seanad is expected to invite the president of the European Parliament, Mr Pat Cox, to give an address on October 10th.
The proposal was agreed at a meeting of the Committee on Procedure and Privileges and it is likely to be approved at the next meeting of the Upper House on October 9th.
Mr Cox has been taking an active part in the campaign for a Yes vote on Nice.