The Tánaiste has said that she believed the Nice Treaty would be accepted by the Irish people. However, Mary Harney accepted the possibility of its rejection in the referendum next month. She said that she would be "very embarrassed" as an Irish person if the referendum was rejected.
She said that the Irish people need to show solidarity, generosity and friendship to applicant countries. She said that the increase of the single market to 500 million people would be good for trade, good for jobs and good for Ireland. Ms Harney was speaking at the launch of her party's campaign for a "Yes" vote on 7 June.
Meanwhile, the Workers' Party said that it was entirely possible to defeat the Treaty. Party president Sean Garland said that there was now much more criticism of the European Union, which makes a "No" vote very probable. He was speaking at the launch of his party's campaign for a "No" vote.
He said that Ireland was the only country holding a referendum on the Treaty and that many millions of people in mainland Europe are looking to Irish voters to defend democracy and resist the militarisation of the EU.
