The next referendum campaign on the Nice Treaty will have to be conducted like an election, the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Brian Cowen, tells Deaglán de Bréadún
It's a case of Back to the Future for Brian Cowen and the Treaty of Nice. He is back in office as Minister for Foreign Affairs and the first major task he faces is the ratification of Nice, which he failed to achieve in his last term of office.
He is taking no prisoners this time. The Taoiseach has already made clear that Nice is the "number one" issue for the new Government. Mr Cowen worked hard in the first campaign, to little avail, but he is hoping to score a knock-out in round two.
Mr Cowen was speaking immediately before his departure for the European Summit at Seville where the Government will make a declaration affirming that our military neutrality is not contravened by Nice or any other EU treaty. A counter-statement from European leaders will confirm this interpretation.
But would voters be impressed by a mere form of words that would not be legally binding?
"We are clarifying and confirming the existing commitments and safeguards set out in the EU treaties which are themselves legal texts. We are not looking for any legal opt-outs here," he said in an interview with The Irish Times. "Successive governments have negotiated successive treaties in this sensitive policy area in a way which preserves our traditional policy."
This was not the interpretation of European Union treaties that people on the No to Nice side were putting about.
"This is the point I'm making," said Mr Cowen, "and I think it's time to clear it up. In the last campaign there was assertion and counter-assertion which basically fomented a lot of confusion about this issue. This is going to be cleared up in Seville."
As far as Mr Cowen is concerned, language will start to lose its meaning if the No side persists in contradicting the interpretation of the 15 member-governments who actually negotiated Nice and other EU treaties.
He wants to confront what he calls the "intellectual dishonesty" of the No lobby.
"The texts are there. Legal texts have a meaning, they don't have 10 different meanings, and those who negotiate and agree those texts do so on the basis of a common understanding as to what those texts mean.
"This declaration is going to confirm, in clear and unambiguous language, as a statement of fact, that 15 member-states of the EU agree precisely what these texts mean insofar as Ireland is concerned."
He is unapologetic about putting the Treaty to a second vote, as promised in the Fianna Fáil and Progressive Democrat election manifestoes.
"The people's right to accept or reject the Treaty remains unfettered but we as a government have a duty, where we see our essential national interests at stake, to ask the people to reflect further on this question before we get to the point where EU enlargement is actually brought to a halt."
He rejected claims that Nice was about creating a two-tier Europe. "The only two-tier Europe we have at the moment are those that are in the EU and those who aren't."
Mr Cowen is already in combat mode for the campaign: "I am going to put to the people what the facts are, OK? And I will challenge those who try to distort the facts."
Recalling the first referendum he admits: "The campaign didn't crown itself in glory in terms of the level of activity that was generated, in terms of the ability to communicate the message.
"It's clear from subsequent studies that were done that there was a high degree of total confusion. A large percentage of people didn't know what it was about. Others voiced some concerns about issues which were not germane to the Treaty at all. So clearly the campaign failed on the last occasion."
Next autumn will be different and the Government will be "campaigning in an election-type situation". The Minister is open to the idea of co-operating with other parties and organisations. "This has to be a national effort."
He wants to see Fianna Fáil activists out knocking on doors this time. "Our intention is to motivate the organisation, similar to an election footing, if we can manage that. Obviously election activity is very, very intense indeed."
He rejected categorically a statement after the last referendum by Romano Prodi, president of the EU Commission, that Nice was not a legal prerequisite for admitting the applicant countries. "It's not correct. It is legally necessary for enlargement.
"I know his position but it is not correct to suggest that the Treaty of Nice is not the legal instrument by which enlargement takes place."
There was no other way to do it. "None to my knowledge and certainly none in the political domain as far as I am aware."
Despite the jibes about Euro-sceptics in the cabinet, Mr Cowen insisted the incoming administration was four-square behind Nice.
"The Taoiseach, in his appointment of all ministers, made it clear that this is the overriding priority of the Government in its first six months in office and all ministers are totally supportive of the ratification of this Treaty."