Ireland's 'little voice' will resonate

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The celtic tiger's EU presidency will be the best advertisement to small countries of the benefits of joining, writes Angelique Chrisafis

Tuesday December 30, 2003

When Ireland takes over the presidency of the EU, on January 1, it will inherit a crippling headache. Europe is more divided than ever after its members came to blows over their proposed first constitution this month. The cracks are as painful as they were when the EU split over the question of war in Iraq earlier in the year. Ireland, one of the most europhile nations in the EU, will have to nurse some open wounds.
The Taoiseach, Bertie Ahern, will spend the first two months of 2004 nipping from capital to capital in the Irish government's new jet with the minister for foreign affairs, Brian Cowen, and the minister for Europe, Dick Roche. They will listen carefully to each country's position on the constitution and try to pave a way back to a future negotiating table by delivering a report in March. "I have no doubt that there will be an agreement. The main question is when," Mr Cowen said this week.

Mr Ahern is seen as a good "behind-the-scenes man" to smooth the way. Apart from France's Jacques Chirac, he is the EU's most experienced leader. He is best known within the EU as a "consensus builder and a deal-broker", as one Irish political editor commented this week. Ireland was not to blame for the collapse of the talks and its "neutral" presidency is therefore deeply convenient.

But Mr Ahern wants nothing to overshadow the centrepiece of his presidency and the driving force behind the constitution: the arrival of 10 new member states and 450 million new EU citizens on May 1. Ireland is planning a glittering "day of welcomes" party for the leaders of the new members: Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Poland, the Slovak Republic and Slovenia. Also invited are Bulgaria and Romania, which are hoping to join in 2007, and Turkey, which is hungry to get on board.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/eu/story/0,7369,1113986,00.html