Voting "No" to Nice a second time would "reverse the trend of 40 years" in which Ireland moved closer to Europe, and it would send the country backwards into "a narrow, selfish pessimism", former Tánaiste, Minister for Foreign Affairs and former leader of the Labour Party, Mr Dick Spring, warned yesterday.
To confirm what seemed to many outside Ireland "a bizarre decision the first time" would have great consequences for the countries seeking to enter the EU, for Europe and for Ireland itself, Mr Spring told 550 delegates to the 19th annual Local Authorities Members' Association conference in Tralee, Co Kerry.
Far from losing national identity, Ireland had actually gained power by joining Europe, Mr Spring said.
"The choice we will have to make later this year is about whether we want Ireland to continue to be a positive, confident, generous, outward-looking coun- try, or to sink backwards into a narrow, selfish pessimism. Last year's No to Nice posters saying we would lose money, power and influence were about fear and negativity."
Joining Europe had conferred many benefits, including North-South co-operation. "As I know very well from my time as Minister for Foreign Affairs, the European Union is far and away the biggest donor to programmes supporting cross-Border co-operation and peace and reconciliation in Northern Ireland." In the light of globalisation, a small country could best play some part through working with its neighbours and partners in the European Union, Mr Spring said.
Sinn Féin's Mr Martin Ferris warned that the EU's Rapid Reaction Force was "no Red Cross".
"It is an army designed for war, an army to impose by force the interests of the EU or an elite within it, " Mr Ferris said. He ac- cused the Government of ignoring the wishes of the people in continuing to attempt to ratify Nice.
Addressing the conference, Mr Brian Crowley MEP said ratification of the Treaty of Nice was essential for enlargement, which would take place in early 2004.
"That can only happen if Ireland ratifies the Nice Treaty," he said. Mistakes had been made in not explaining the treaty properly to the people and a door-to-door canvass would be necessary next time, he said.