For Prime Minister Brian Cowen’s new government, the risk is that a “No” to the Lisbon Treaty would cripple his administration in its infancy. For the EU, Irish rejection of the Treaty would probably trigger a lengthy period of instability, and perhaps even an end to the European integration process as it is now constituted.
对于总理考恩的新政府而言，如果里斯本条约遭到否决，那么他刚刚组建的新政府就会陷于瘫痪。对于欧盟而言，如果爱尔兰拒绝条约，就有可能引发漫长的不稳定时期，甚至会终结目前的欧洲联合进程。