EU:Slovenian prime minister Janez Jansá has said he will not try to tell Irish people how to vote on the Treaty of Lisbon during his country's presidency of the EU.
Laying out his priorities for the union over the next six months, Mr Jansá said getting ratification of the Lisbon Treaty, formerly known as the reform treaty, was his top priority. But he also warned that intervention by foreign politicians in a referendum debate in Ireland could have unintended and negative consequences for the Yes campaign.
"We don't underestimate the problem but first of all we would like to respect the wish of the Irish Government, which is not to help too much, not to tell the Irish people what to do, because this would have the opposite effect," said the centre-right Slovenian prime minister and former anti-communist activist.
"We must not think we know the situation in Ireland better than they do," he added.
EU sources said yesterday that the presidency would also avoid any discussion of enhancing the EU's military capabilities in the run-up to the Irish referendum.
Slovenia, which is the first of the new EU states that joined the union in 2004 to hold the EU presidency, estimates that 20 member states will have ratified the treaty by the end of June. Mr Jansá said Slovenia should follow Hungary - the first EU state to ratify the treaty - and conclude its own parliamentary ratification by the end of January.
He also hinted that sensitive EU political proposals, which could derail the Europe-wide ratification process, would be avoided. "It is very important not to launch some discussions on the European level which could strongly interfere with the ratification debate in parliament or those countries that have a referendum," said Mr Jansá.
EU officials have already indicated that Ireland's staunch opposition to a European Commission plan for a common consolidated corporate tax base has caused it to be left off the European agenda until later this year.
Slovenian state secretary for European affairs Janez Lenarcic later said it would also not be helpful if the upcoming debate on the EU budget, and principally the British rebate, was held at the same time as the ratification of the treaty.
Slovenia, which has a population of just two million people, had used Ireland as one of the models for its presidency. "The Irish have held successful presidencies and is a country that has a similar size to Slovenia . . . we also asked for advice from Austria and Luxembourg," he added.
Meanwhile, Mr Jansa said Denmark's plan to hold a referendum on its opt-outs from elements of EU policy making was a "less serious" issue compared with the Irish referendum on the treaty itself. Nevertheless, he wished EU states did not obtain opt-outs.
Ireland has retained the right to opt out of several elements in the new treaty in justice and home affairs.