I picked up Magill yesterday for my train journey home, pointedly doing so because I felt it was time to read some discussion of the Reform Treaty and begin to get a grasp of what its proponents and objectors would be discussing in the coming months. The title emblazened across the front of Magill reads ‘Europe off Balance’ – Is the EU Treaty already lost? This question it turns out is actually more of a hopeful aspiration of contributor Eoin O Brion, who spends the entire stretch of his article brandishing the treaty, its evolution and implications for our sovereignty.

“The EU Reform Treaty is a federal power grab of unprecedented proportions. It will undermine democracy, weaken Irish influence at the EU and centralise power in the hands of distant, undemocratic and unaccountable EU institutions.”

Now Magill has no obligation to bring a balanced account of what is contained within the Treaty. However I know that presented with such an admonishment, I want to seek out as strong a counter argument as possible and hopefully establish some sort of balanced consideration of all view points in my head.

Where I will find this empassioned, factful representation remains at issue though. First and foremost our Minister for European Affairs is surely involved in some form of blackmail scheme that he manages to wrangle a portfolio. The Minister opens his mouth, words or forms of words appear but all I hear is a man who’s ability to debate spirals into the doldrums after he realises he has used up each of his pre-prepared statements. I think I have decided that I will vote No, irrespective of how the campaign progresses if I am to be subjected to this man being the public face of the campaign.

The campaign that has yet to set a date for the referendum or begin to offer any sort of public information campaign. Consequently, the extent of information available is a combination of criticism from the already well organised objectors, boredom inducing speculation as to the date of a referendum and the Irish Times being reduced to using its front page to tell us no one knows how they are going to vote, from which I choose to infer no one has a notion what any of the Treaty amendments actually entail. The only information RTE seems to have uncovered and have put on loop is that we will be the only state to vote on the Treaty with the informative Mr. Roche contributing that the entire European project will fail if we vote no. Again I feel compelled to vote no irrespectively if I am going to be guilted into voting for an amendment to our Constitution on the basis we will upset our neighbours. Mr. Roche is adamant there will be no second referendum, ensuring the pressure is on, before there is even mention of a public information campaign. I remember a friend in college telling me he chose how to vote on the Nice Referendum by actually reading it, now I respect this and think it represents good citizenship to inform oneself so comprehensively. Other than a string of other characteristics making this person fairly unique I think certainly he is stand alone in taking on such research. This most recent Treaty runs to over 300 pages so the reality is few will read part of it, let alone its entirety.

We need answers as to how this is a different animal to the Constitution rejected by France and the Netherlands. If this is to be a streamlining, modernising, efficiency focused tool then let us be convinced of it by the changes involved being clearly presented. Let us begin a debate not muddled by fear mongering bordering on conspiracy theories confusing the public. There is an obligation on all sides to ask the right questions so that we can at least know the correct information is available to be filtered from the political prevaricating. The European question and what it means for the future of Ireland needs to be presented to us effectively and promptly before the minds of the public becomes disengaged and sceptical through another round of Eurobore rhetoric.