IRISH REFERENDUM ON LISBON TREATY: A VIEW FROM CORK

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 DUBLIN 000397 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/25/2019 TAGS: PGOV PREL PINR EI EUN SUBJECT: IRISH REFERENDUM ON LISBON TREATY: A VIEW FROM CORK REF: A. DUBLIN 383 ¶B. DUBLIN 362 DUBLIN 00000397 001.2 OF 002 Classified By: Charge d'Affaires Robert J. Faucher. Reasons 1.4(b/d). ¶1. (C) SUMMARY: A September 23-24 visit to Ireland,s previously anti-Lisbon southwest revealed a mixed bag of pro-Lisbon elites and a somewhat confused and ambivalent, but generally "yes"-leaning, public. The region,s elites appear to form a solid, pro-Lisbon bloc, reaching out to average voters but worried about their unpredictability. With the vote approaching, preserving Irish prerogatives within Europe appears to be a diminishing concern. As always and everywhere in the Lisbon campaign so far (reftels),the economy is the core consideration, and a haunting fear of economic isolation from Europe is the strongest factor auguring a "yes" vote in Cork. END SUMMARY. -------------- - IRELAND,S FAR SOUTHWEST: AN EX-"NO" STRONGHOLD -------------- - ¶2. (SBU) On September 23-24 we traveled to Cork, in the far Southwest of Ireland. The country,s second-largest city after Dublin, Cork is in the midst of a largely rural county of the same name, and considers itself the true "capital" of Ireland. In the first Lisbon Treaty referendum, in June 2008, Cork,s five constituencies all voted "no" in higher proportions than the nationwide vote, with a combined Cork total of 14.1 percent more "no" votes than "yes" votes, compared to a 6.8 percent spread in the total tally nationwide. Now, there are many Lisbon campaign posters lining the streets of Cork, but noticeably fewer than in Dublin, where Lisbon posters are hanging from every lamppost. Another noteworthy difference from Dublin is that the anti-Lisbon posters outnumber the "yes" posters by a considerable margin. During our visit, we talked to University College Cork professors and students, Chamber of Commerce representatives, the Lord Mayor of Cork City, the Mayor of County Cork, and Brian Crowley, a very popular member of the European Parliament (MEP) who has topped the polls in Cork in four straight elections since 1994. Crowley is also a member of the European Parliament's Delegation for Relations with the United States. -------------- CORK FACULTY ANIMATED, STUDENTS RESERVED -------------- ¶3. (C) At University College Cork (UCC),we talked to a group of law and political science professors led by Irene Lynch-Fannon, Head of the College of Business and Law. They told us of an all-day symposium on the future of Europe they had organized on September 1, lamenting that that attempt at public outreach had ended in "preaching to the converted." Despite a speaker line-up including the Foreign Minister and a former president of the European Parliament, they said, hardly any students or members of the public attended. They told of an almost unanimous change of heart in favor of Lisbon among those few of their acquaintances who had voted "no" the first time, but professed worry about the "misperceptions" and parochialism that might motivate a second "no" vote among the general public in Cork. Lynch-Fannon said she found it unconceivable that "300,000 Irish people could put the brakes on a Europe of 500 million." (NOTE: The actual number of "no" votes in the June 2008 referendum was 862,415 out of a total of about 1,615,000 votes, representing a turnout of 53.1 percent. END NOTE.) ¶4. (C) A visit to a political-science class, "Introduction to the European Union," underscored the professors, account of a student body less interested in Lisbon than their teachers. In a 30-minute discussion, the students admitted their relative lack of familiarity with the Lisbon Treaty. Their thoughts were centered on Ireland and the economy, with the primary concern being whether a "no" vote would irritate the rest of the EU and lead to economic isolation. One student, referring to a recent visit to Ireland of European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso, said he (the student) would vote "yes," because "that Barroso,s a scary guy ) if we vote 'no,' who knows what he,d do to Ireland." A German student in the class chided the others for their Irish-centric perspective. When asked how they would vote, 17 raised their hands "yes," one voted "no," and one voted both "yes" and "no." They all laughed and nodded in agreement when one student said "if you don't know, vote 'yes,'" explaining that worry about the economic fallout of an angry EU was motivating his vote. (NOTE: Perhaps the most memorable slogan from the June 2008 campaign was, "If you don't know, vote 'no.'" END NOTE.) DUBLIN 00000397 002.2 OF 002 -------------- CORK CHAMBER PUSHING FOR LISBON -------------- ¶5. (C) In our conversation with Conor Healy, Chief Executive of the Cork Chamber of Commerce, he blamed the June 2008 referendum results on the elite's complacency. Both the elite, who matter-of-factly voted "yes," and the "no" majority had been suffering from the arrogance of economic boom times. "We don't have that problem anymore," said Healy, explaining that the Chamber was publishing leaflets for "yes" and encouraging its members to explain to their workers why a "yes" vote is in their interests. Healy said he did not know whether member companies were effective in getting the message to their workers. He predicted a pro-Lisbon outcome this time, but said it would be by a narrow margin, much narrower than the polls predict. He professed uncertainty on how the general public would vote; active Cork Chamber members, company Chief Executives and upper-level managers, he said, were firmly in the pro-Lisbon camp. He said that in an informal raised-hands vote, at a recent Chamber event attended by about 200 members, 96 percent had voted "yes." -------------- POLITICOS: CORK WILL VOTE "YES" -------------- ¶6. (C) We also talked with Lord Mayor of Cork City Dara Murphy (of the nationally governing center-right Fianna Fail party),Mayor of Cork County Derry Canty (of the principal opposition party Fine Gael, also center-right),and MEP Brian Crowley (Fianna Fail). In separate conversations, they agreed that Cork voters were strongly leaning toward "yes." Murphy echoed many other interlocutors when he said that the first referendum had been a "throw-away" vote against a complacent political establishment. He said, "We knew they'd ask us again anyway." Referring to several repeated referenda in the past, he said the Irish "don't mind" being asked again. Murphy and Canty described what they called a growing sense in Cork -- resulting from Ireland's dire economic situation -- of being inhabitants of a small island nation out in the middle of the Atlantic that cannot afford to risk the ire of greater Europe. Both Canty and Crowley, who had been canvassing extensively in County Cork, said that Cork farmers were moving to the "yes" side, while fishermen, irked by competition from other European countries, appeared still to be in the anti-Lisbon camp. All of our political interlocutors stressed the central role of the economic crisis in changing last year's confident "no" into this year's ambivalent "yes." -------------- COMMENT: IT'S THE "YES" SIDE'S TO LOSE -------------- ¶7. (C) Our impressions, in Cork, Dublin and elsewhere, track roughly with the latest poll, published on September 25, showing 48 percent in favor of Lisbon, 33 percent against and 19 percent undecided. This represents a narrowing, but impressive, margin for the pro-Lisbon side. Unlike in June 2008, the political, economic and academic elites are galvanized and campaigning throughout the country. With the October 20 vote now one week away, most average voters appear to be moving pragmatically, though unenthusiastically, toward "yes." The "no" side's greatest hope is that the referendum could still end up being used as a protest vote against an unpopular government. With economic insecurity overshadowing everything else, however, the pro-Lisbon camp is holding the strongest card. END COMMENT. FAUCHER