DUBLIN — Ireland’s recession-hit voters have overwhelmingly approved the European Union’s ambitious and long-delayed reform plans, electoral chiefs announced Saturday in a referendum result greeted with wild cheers in Dublin — and nervous sighs of relief in Brussels.
Ireland had been the primary obstacle to ratifying the EU Lisbon Treaty, a mammoth agreement designed to modernize and strengthen the 27-nation bloc’s institutions and decision-making powers in line with its near-doubling in size since 2004.
The treaty will make it easier to make decisions by majority rather than unanimous votes, and give a bigger say to national parliaments and the European Parliament in shaping EU policies.
The Irish — the only EU citizens voting directly for an impenetrably complex legal document that has been eight years in the making — stunned Brussels last year with a rejection fueled by fears that an emboldened EU would force neutral Ireland to raise its business taxes, join a European army and legalize abortion.
Ireland staged a second vote Friday after winning legal assurances from EU chiefs that Brussels would not interfere in any of those areas.
Electoral chiefs announced the treaty’s approval on a 67.1 percent “yes” vote on a relatively strong 58 percent turnout.
