Irish rejection of Nice Treaty poses stumbling block to EU expansion

Euro-enthusiasts' hearts sank after 39 out of 41 counties in an Irish referendum on Thursday voted against signing the Nice Treaty, possibly creating an obstacle in the EU enlargement process. According to official results, over 54% of Irish voters rejected the terms of the agreement recently hammered out in Nice. Despite the Irish government's' disappointment with the result, to many observers it was no surprise, as most Irish believe that Ireland, which benefits enormously from EU subsidies, would lose part of its funds and influence if new members were accepted. EC chief Romano Prodi reassured candidate countries their entry was not threatened and that desire for expansion within the EU is still strong. (Rzeczpospolita, June 9-10, p. A5) J.K.