Euroscepticism is a recipe for Ireland moving backwards and detaching itself from the rest of the world, writes Mary Frances McKenna
OUR FUTURE, and the type of future it will be, is at the core of Ireland's attempts to resolve the Lisbon Treaty impasse. What is at stake is whether we put in place a framework for a successful future or we drift into isolation and irrelevance. Ultimately we are asking, where do we want to be in five to 10 years, who do we want to be, what type of opportunities do we want to have?
This is what we are answering when we ask the question, "how do we resolve the Lisbon Treaty impasse?" There are essentially two paths open to us, finding a way to remain at the centre of the EU, or beginning the lonely road of isolation and irrelevance.
Concluding the Lisbon Treaty impasse in a positive manner is, however, not just an issue that challenges Ireland and our EU partners. It is also an issue that confronts the countries aspiring to the type of national transformation Ireland fashioned through the opportunities EU membership has offered since 1973.
Enlargement of the EU, embracing states of the former Yugoslavia, cannot happen until internal reform of the EU is realised. This is so in order to ensure that as the EU grows its structures remain appropriate and workable.
It has been noted that the EU remains strong and efficient under the Nice Treaty rules. So do we really need to reform? The Lisbon Treaty was originally conceived for "tomorrow" not "today".
Tomorrow's challenges are not today's challenges. Today's rules will not deliver tomorrow's prosperity and security.
The EU is just like a very large ongoing social partnership agreement. Sticking with the social partnership agreement of 2005, let alone 1987, wouldn't make sense today as the environment has changed, and what worked then to bring prosperity to Ireland will not work now.
Only by surveying the challenges and opportunities of today, and more importantly tomorrow, and responding appropriately can we secure a social partnership agreement that delivers for all stakeholders. It's exactly the same with the EU. Sticking with what worked yesterday and today will not deliver prosperity tomorrow for Irish and EU citizens.
We face 26 EU partners who are clearly saying, we are happy to address your concerns but we will not engage in a wholesale renegotiation of the Lisbon Treaty. If Europe listens to Irish voters concerns and responds with concessions to these concerns, then that is democracy in action.
In those circumstances, it is only natural that we should look at an amended Lisbon Treaty because with Irish voters' concerns addressed, it is a treaty that the Irish people can lend its support to. We would also have an obligation to our EU partners to look at such an amended Lisbon Treaty which takes into account the concerns expressed during the referendum campaign. It would in fact be unreasonable not to respond to concessions made by our EU partners.
Euroscepticism is a game in which Ireland can only lose. Euroscepticism has no place in Ireland because it would be worse than a dead end, it would in fact put Ireland into reverse gear.
Attempting to exist with limited engagement with the outside world has never worked for any country, and it will not work for Ireland now.
Ireland has gained influence in the EU because we have always been part of the emerging consensus. There is no benefit to Ireland in becoming a "hurler on the ditch", leaning on the fence criticising the efforts of our EU partners while they attempt to tackle the challenges we all face today and tomorrow.
With all the EU's lack of perfection we are much better off to get stuck in and make what has delivered prosperity, stability and peace for Ireland and Europe over the last 50 years work as best as possible.
What is your vision for Ireland in five to 10 years' time? That is the fundamental question that must be answered by those putting forward a solution to the Lisbon Treaty impasse. It is not good enough any more for campaigners or columnists to continually repeat misinformation about the EU and its treaties.
It is time for everyone to lay their cards on the table to show if they are bluffing, or if they have a game plan that is in Ireland's interests, a game plan that is neither a dream of utopia nor some crackpot scheme. So a view on how to resolve the Lisbon Treaty impasse should not be entertained by the public unless it is accompanied by a detailed and clear plan about where it will bring Ireland over the next five to 10 years.
Attempting to force on to the rest of the EU a narrowly focused "Irish Solution" is a non-starter.
What type of democracy is it that says one country can dictate to 26 countries? What type of democracy is it where one country demands that others respect its vote, but refuses to respect the vote of the other 26 countries? What type of democracy is it that one country tells 26 countries how to ratify its laws? It's not a democracy at all. What it really is, is dictatorship masquerading as the voice of the dispossessed.
Europe has been great for Ireland and the only way to keep it that way is to move forward with our EU partners and find a way to reform the EU so it can address the new challenges we will face in the future.
The European Ryder Cup team has demonstrated over the last 25 years, and hopefully again next month, that when Europe works as a team, when we pool our resources and pull together, Europe does not just compete with the best in the world, Europe leads the world.
Notwithstanding Pádraig Harrington's great successes over the last 14 months, Ireland couldn't possibly have achieved alone what we have achieved with Europe. And that is the best way to understand why Europe, and remaining at the centre of Europe, is the best option for Ireland by a long stretch.
Our future and the future of the next generations depend on Ireland's ability to resolve the Lisbon Treaty impasse in a manner that enables Ireland to remain at the centre of Europe.
Mary Frances McKenna was the director of the Business Alliance for Europe, one of the groups that campaigned for a Yes vote in the Lisbon Treaty referendum