EU applicants urge Ireland not to reject Nice Treaty

Ten countries bidding to join the European Union have implored the people of Ireland to vote Yes in next month's re- run of a referendum on the Union's eastward expansion.

The unprecedented appeal reflects renewed concern that Irish voters, who rejected the Nice Treaty in a first vote last year, may be about to deliver a second rejection on October 19, partly to punish the Dublin government over a separate scandal relating to its handling of the Irish public finances. A second No vote by Ireland is seen as the biggest threat to the plan to embrace the former Soviet-bloc states of Eastern Europe in the Union.

Ministers from the Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Slovakia, Slovenia, Malta, and Cyprus – who hope to join the EU in 2004 – signed the letter pleading with the Irish people to recognise the historical importance of the Nice Treaty and to heal "a century of pain and suffering".

The Nice Treaty detailing the internal changes to the EU's workings to allow enlargement, must be ratified by the 15 existing EU states before it can come into force.

Ireland, which had been seen as one of the most pro-European of members, sent shock waves around Europe last year when it voted No after a vigorous campaign by an alliance of hardline nationalists, Greens, neutrality campaigners, and anti abortionists. This time around, Taoiseach Bertie Ahern's centre right coalition, backed by the main opposition parties and the Catholic Church, is banking on an EU leaders' declaration safeguarding Ireland's neutrality, to convince mainstream voters to come out and back the treaty. Mr Ahern has dismissed opponents as "dingbats and whingers".

But polls show that just 16 per cent of voters say they understand the issues. And 44 per cent of farmers, traditionally the strongest supporters of the EU are undecided. Most alarming for the 'Yes' campaign is the anger caused by the leaking this week of a memorandum showing the government misled voters about planned cuts to public services before elections earlier this year.

That scandal and the rebellion over cutbacks -- which some are linking to the budgetary conditions imposed by the European single currency -- have created a mood of deep public cynicism.

"It is clear that there is a deep sense of public outrage at the way the electorate have been taken for fools and that is putting the Nice Treaty at risk," said Enda Kenny, the leader of the opposition Fine Gael party, as he called on voters not to confuse their disgust with the government, with their "civic responsibility" to support Nice.

In their letter, the applicant states acknowledge that the referendum is a matter for the Irish people alone.