What do you EU guys think of the vote on Lisboa treaty about to be held in Ireland this week? My question pertains not so much to the yay/nay issue but rather to how much the people's opinion really matters in this case.

I am asking because I think there is too much pressure is being put on the Irish to vote 'yes' and there is too much propaganda is on air. Recently the French Minister of Foreign Affairs Kouchner said that the Irish will punish themselves by saying 'no'. IMHO, it is not the business of somebody not elected by and not accountable to the Irish telling them what to do. I am also afraid that once the vote is negative Brussels will shove the positive answer down the collective Irish throats by forcing them to vote again and again and increasing the amounts of propaganda.