The prospect of the E.U. reform treaty passing its main hurdle to ratification, an October referendum in Ireland, received a boost Saturday when Ireland's Green Party decided to push for a 'yes' vote. The Greens, a junior party in Ireland's ruling coalition, voted by a two-to- one majority to campaign for the Lisbon Treaty, which Irish voters rejected in a first referendum in June 2008, sending shock waves through the bloc. At Saturday's special convention Green Party members voted by 214 (66%) to 107 (33%) in favor of the treaty.
The most recent opinion polls show 54% of Irish voters would now say 'yes' to the Lisbon Treaty. Almost all the other 27 E.U. member states have endorsed the treaty, which is designed to streamline the E.U.'s decision-making, through votes in their national parliaments.Only Ireland is constitutionally bound to put the treaty to a vote. The Czech Republic, Germany and Poland are also still to ratify the Lisbon Treaty but do not have to put the matter to a public election.
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