Sir, - If vox populi is vox dei, it is not surprising to find some commentators and politicians thrusting themselves forward as its high priests. From "Young Dev" to Fergus Finlay, a variety of unlikely figures are gathering credit as vanquishers of "the Establishment". Not since the election of Mary Robinson have we been so blinded by the light of a new dawn.
I take this particular new dawn with a grain of salt. The Nice vote was the rejection of a policy, not a principle. It is therefore incumbent on the Government to present a new policy, one that allows major EU enlargement to go ahead, but takes account of the most significant objections voiced to the treaty.
This will demand a second referendum, but there is precedent for that. There were two referendums on proportional representation and divorce, and we may be heading for a third on abortion.
The problem is that the opposition to Nice is a loose alliance of parties, no two of which agree on everything.
It is hard to tease out exactly what the Government can offer, especially as it now seems (according to Richard Sinnott, June 22nd), that the No vote actually declined slightly from the Amsterdam to Nice Treaties, and the Yes campaign failed to mobilise its core support.
I voted for the treaty because I want to see the countries of Eastern Europe become an integral part of a prosperous, democratic, free-trading system. That is the major guarantee against armed conflict on this continent. One of the ideals of the founders of the EU was to prevent wars in Europe. During the 1990s, that ideal was betrayed disastrously by a spineless EU reaction to the break-up of Yugoslavia. It could happen again.
Like it or not, Europe needs the Nice Treaty, and it is the duty of the Government to lay it once again before the people. The Nice Treaty is not about a European superstate, and that debate should be held in a parallel but separate track. - Yours, etc.,
Toby Joyce, Balreask Manor, Navan, Co Meath.
Sir, - To paraphrase Ogden Nash, the people looked at the Treaty of Nice and said: "That gook we won't gobble." - Yours, etc.,
Tomβs O'Beirne, Sussex Road, Dublin 4.