Irish 'yes’ to Lisbon Treaty 'not certain'[fr][de] 

Although the Red C poll, conducted between February 25 and 27, revealed a two-to-one margin in favour of the treaty (46% to 23%), the high number of undecided voters (31%) makes it difficult to predict the outcome of the public vote. 

Ireland is the only EU country where a referendum will be held on the new treaty. 

The vote was expected to take place on 29 May, but is now likely to be postponed until early June, Taoiseach Bertie Ahern announced on his visit to Slovenia on 1-2 March. Following repeated calls from opposition parties to clarify the matter, Ahern is expected to announce the referendum date this week. 

Irish European Affairs Minister Dick Roche made it clear that there will only be one referendum held in Ireland on the provisions of the Lisbon Treaty, adding that there was no plan B in case the treaty was rejected in the referendum and absolutely no possibility of renegotiating the text. 

Without Irish ratification, the treaty "would be dead", which would have serious ramifications for the whole of Europe, Roche pointed out. 

Politicians from the Sinn Fein party reiterated their staunch opposition to the treaty, urging Irish citizens to reject it in the referendum. 

"The Lisbon Treaty gives EU institutions too much power," Sinn Fein leader Gerry Adams told his party in Dublin, adding that "these proposals are about reducing the political clout of the Irish people, including the right to stop EU laws that are not in the Irish national interest". 

Adams also warned that the Lisbon Treaty would threaten Ireland's neutrality by tying it to a common European defence and security policy. It would also weaken the country's voice in the EU and undercut public services, he said.

Meanwhile, British activists protested against the UK government's decision not to hold a referendum on the new treaty (EurActiv 22/10/07), revealing banners stating "Referendum Now" and "Give us a vote". The protest took place days before members of the British parliament are due to vote on a Conservative amendment to the EU treaty bill calling for a referendum (EurActiv 21/01/08)

A local poll, organised by the "I Want a Referendum" campaign and conducted by the Electoral Reform Services in 10 parliamentary constituencies, showed that almost 85% of British voters want a referendum on the Lisbon Treaty, with almost 90% opposing its ratification. 

Prime Minister Brown has dismissed critics' claims that the treaty would threaten the country's interests and has held firm following his decision to ratify the text in Parliament rather than through a risky referendum.