ABSTRACT
The EU constitution was agreed in June 2004 under the Irish presidency of the EU Council of Ministers. Certainly, the Irish pragmatic approach1
facilitated the successful conclusion of the IGC 2003-4. Nonconfrontational exploitation of opportunities as well as the negotiating skills and quiet diplomacy of An Taoiseach Bertie Ahern and his officials facilitated the final compromise (Institute of European Affairs 2004). This approach was not surprising given that the Irish politics and political culture are characterized by a pragmatic and non-ideological attitude. Similarly, “pragmatism, rather than any political or ideological commitment, frames the traditional picture of Irish attitudes toward European integration” (Tonra 2002: 201).
