Former EU Commissioner Charlie McCreevy: 95% of member states would vote NO

In an extraordinary admission, Charlie McCreevy acknowledged that most other member states would also have rejected the Lisbon Treaty had the question been put to their electorates. Speaking in Dublin yesterday, the former EU Commissioner stated,

“...I think all the politicians of Europe, all of the heads of state – all of them having to be elected by their people – would have known quite well that if a similar question had been put to their electorates by referendum, the answer in 95% of the countries would probably have been no as well. The heads of state and politicians would be far more realistic about this and were glad they didn’t have to put the question themselves to their electorates."

He also rejected the idea that the original referendum vote was lost due to voter ignorance:

“Whereas everybody says we don’t know enough about Europe, I can tell you this: in my humble opinion, the ordinary people of Ireland know a damn sight more about the intricacies of the European framework than nearly all the members of the other [states]. Why? Because we’ve had these questions posed on many occasions to us before. So ... we learn a little bit extra all the time.”

This follows McCreevy’s comments last December in an interview with Hot Press in which he argued that our vote against the Lisbon treaty should be respected. He highlighted the fact that the No campaign had won the argument against the "might" of the political parties and added that "We live in a democracy", and that the No side’s victory was clear.  
 
In response to the notion that people did not know what they were voting on, he stated, "People did take the issue very seriously. So that has to be respected." Former Commissioner McCreevy was responsible for internal market affairs in the EU.

An English commentator made the following observation:

This is cynicism personified. Here is a senior EU Commissioner admitting that the people of Europe would reject the Lisbon Treaty if they got the chance. They don't like it, they don't want it but the Eurocrats are determined that they'll get it anyway! 

But here McCreevy, who clearly disapproves, is so seduced by the money and prestige that he can't begin to contemplate resigning and leading the NO vote campaign and thus saving both Ireland and the rest of Europe.

This news item was covered extensively in the the press.