Irish Taoiseach Bertie Aherne discusses EU issues on Prague visit

Outgoing Czech President Vaclav Havel on Thursday played host to his last official visitor, the Irish taoiseach, or prime minister, Bertie Aherne. Mr Aherne's visit came three months after Ireland voted Yes (at the second attempt) to the Nice Treaty, clearing the way for the Czech Republic and nine other countries to join the European Union. The Czechs are now facing a referendum of their own - the first vote of its kind in the country's history - on whether to accept the invitation to join the EU in May next year. Czech Radio's Vit Pohanka spoke to Bertie Aherne in Prague, and asked him what advice he could give the Czech government about trying to persuade the nation to vote Yes in the June referendum.

Irish Taoiseach Bertie Aherne discusses EU issues on Prague visit

Bertie Aherne and Vaclav Havel, photo: CTK

"Well, it would be wrong of me to give advice to Czech politicians, but I can only tell you what happened in Ireland. We've had many referendums on Europe down through the years, but in relation to Nice our problem was fairly simple: the first time around we were not able to connect the Nice referendum with the issue of enlargement. The second time around we did that but we had to put in an enormous effort of explanation, of explaining to people and of asking people in the applicant countries to come to Ireland to participate in a forum, of people who were for and against Europe, where they could articulate why they believed it was so important that they got the opportunity to join Europe. When people saw that, when it was explained, when the information campaign was properly done, then people voted overwhelming for the Nice treaty. People in Ireland were never against enlargement, it was the lack of a connection between Nice and enlargement, and as soon as that was clarified we had no problems."

Next year's enlargement will be the biggest in the history of the European Union, though what kind of union the Czech Republic and the other nine will be joining is not completely clear. The Convention on the Future of Europe is currently preparing a new constitution for the EU, and such important issues as whether to maintain the rotating presidency are still being hotly debated. Money is another important issue. How do the people of Ireland, who have greatly benefited financially from EU membership over the years, view enlargement? Aren't they afraid of losing out? Taoiseach Bertie Aherne again.

"I don't think the mood, in so far as people feel that the new applicant countries, or the new members when they'll be members next year, will actually take their resources, I don't think that's the issue, it's not an issue of selfishness. There is the concern that as Europe gets very large - Europe this decade in my view will come to thirty countries - that issues that were important when it was six, nine and 12 members will not be as high on the agenda."