There was a provocative piece in the Sunday Tribune by Justine McCarthy about the re-emergence of the right wing in Ireland. The profile of religious conservatives, among other elements of the right, was politically visible in the referendum campaign to defeat the Lisbon treaty. Much of the left also opposed the treaty.
McCarthy focuses on the right's conception of the role of women in Irish society. "The mood of conservatism is palpable," she writes. And since "feminism has lost its balls," how will this "wind of change" be reversed?
The Lisbon treaty debate is still raging, too. Many people in Ireland increasingly believe they will be asked, in a democracy-eroding sleight of hand, to vote again within a year on the same treaty. (Which would, of course, be a second repackaging of the latest effort to "streamline" the functioning of the EU--the failed European constitution was version 1.0, rejected by French and Dutch voters in 2005.) In Ireland, a similar "those who know better didn't like the verdict of the people, please vote again" occurred in 2001 when the Nice treaty initially was rejected by Irish voters.
So get ready for next year's sequel: Lisbon II. Or as it might be colloquially referred to in Ireland, the "Ah Come On Stop Acting the Bollocks" treaty.
Apparently, here's how Irish Taoiseach (prime minister) Brian Cowen reacted to the No vote (thanks to Sarah Carey for the tips):
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