Ratification of the Lisbon Treaty: Are we there yet?

Summary:

Are we there yet? Could the Lisbon Treaty be effective by the end of the year? Will the institutional reform that has been under way for 10 years finally be put in place? If so, would the new Commission nominated between December 2009 and January 2010 rule Europe on the basis of the new treaty? It is too early to answer these questions. Indeed they all depend on one single point: the choice that the Irish will make on 2 October when they vote for the second time on the Lisbon Treaty. A protocol has been added to the treaty to guarantee Ireland a few points that should facilitate their acceptance. For example, the protocol insists on the military neutrality of the country, the refusal of any additional fiscal harmonisation and the continued ban on abortions, which are strictly illegal in Ireland.Other problems have been recently solved: the Czech senate ratified the Lisbon Treaty on May 2009, even if the very populist and euro sceptic President Klaus, has yet not signed the document. In a similar way, the Polish president is waiting for the Irish result before confirming the ratification of the treaty. As far as Germany is concerned, the constitutional court has ruled that national legal changes are necessary before ratification. This issue will be discussed in the German Parliament in August and September.

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