Pooling, Gaining or Losing Sovereignty? Conflicting Definitions of Irish Sovereignty in the Political Discourse on European Integration

Abstract

This article aims at using the multi-faceted dimensions of the concept of sovereignty as a theoretical framework to better understand the Irish political discourse on European integration and to clarify the changing positions of various actors on the issue, notably in relation to the 2008 financial crisis. First, the article reminds the reader of the various definitions of sovereignty and how the old Westphalian definition has been recently challenged by international law and international relations scholars who consider the impact of globalisation and interdependence on state relations and who therefore question the mere existence of absolute sovereignty in today’s world. In a second part, the study analyses and categorises the arguments used during the referendum campaigns between 1972 and the financial crisis, in order to show how the concept of sovereignty contributed to fostering both pro- and anti-EU treaty positions. The third part will address the consequences of the financial crisis on the positioning of political actors. The debate on Ireland’s sovereignty was reinvigorated by the developments relating to the country’s economic situation and the EU/IMF bail-out package which considerably limited the ability of the government to determine its own economic policies. We will show that the ‘loss of sovereignty’ arguments gained ground among the traditionally pro-integration parties and groups. It reassessed the role of the citizen in legitimizing the decision-making process.