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Most Germans think EU reform should go on without Ireland

DPA/The Local
DPA/The Local - [email protected]
Most Germans think EU reform should go on without Ireland

Just 25 percent of Germans believe the EU should let Ireland's failure to approve the Lisbon Treaty stop the EU reform momentum, according to a recent poll released by pollster Forsa for German broadaster N-TV.

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More than 60 percent of poll participants said that EU countries that either plan to ratify, or have already ratified the treaty should continue with the process.

The 18 percent of Germans in favour of a temporary stop tended to come from the hard-line socialist party, The Left.

More than half of the 1,001 Germans polled by Forsa on June 16 and 17 said they would vote for the Lisbon Treaty, which was carefully drafted to save key parts of the EU draft constitution that failed when voters in France and The Netherlands rejected it in 2005. Ireland is the only country of the 27 EU members that requires a referendum vote to approve treaties, and Irish citizens rejected the treaty on June 13 in a low-turnout vote.

In another poll by media research firm Emnid for broadcaster N24, 54 precent of 1,000 participants said they would vote in favour of the Lisbon Treaty if Germany had required a referendum.

Despite general approval of the Lisbon Treaty, many Germans are sceptical of future EU developments, according to the Emnid poll.

Some 70 percent said they would rather their national parliament make major political decisions, while just 24 percent said they would like to see responsibilities shift to Brussels.

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