JURIST - Paper Chase: Ireland voters receptive to modified Treaty of Lisbon: poll

[JURIST] An Irish Times poll [report] published Monday suggests that 52.5 percent of Irish voters would approve the Treaty of Lisbon [text; EU backgrounder] if it were modified so that Ireland kept a European Union (EU) [official website] Commissioner and clarified Irish concerns over neutrality, abortion, and taxation. The poll has a margin of error of 3 percent, and broadly reaffirms the results of previous polls showing opinions on the European reform pact [JURIST news archive] were divided on the issue by social class. In June, 53.4 percent of Irish voters rejected the treaty [JURIST report] in a referendum. A July think tank poll showed that most Irish voters opposed a second referendum [JURIST report]. Ireland has been the only nation to hold a referendum to approve the Lisbon Treaty.

The Treaty of Lisbon was signed [JURIST report] by the 27 members of the EU in December 2007 to replace the EU constitution [JURIST news archive] that failed to pass previously because France and the Netherlands did not approve it. To date, 20 EU member nations have formally endorsed the Treaty [EU report]. All EU nations must ratify for it to take effect. Several countries, including Poland and Austria, have delayed ratifying the Treaty discouraged by the failed Ireland referendum. The Netherlands and France [JURIST report], however, have continued to push for ratification.

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