And so the electorate has spoken. It’s a resounding ‘huh?’, with misunderstanding and misinformation carrying the day by a 9% spread. The clearest message to emerge even at this early stage is that Lisbon has split along class lines, with the middle classes backing it and the working classes roundly rejecting the treaty.

The shock waves are being felt, not just across the 27 EU states, but right around the world. Ireland, with 0.8% of the EU population, has derailed a treaty that has taken the last seven years to painstakingly construct. The ‘no’ camp covered a spectrum of rejectionist positions, from abortion, homosexuality, immigration and even euthanasia. Continue reading →