BRUSSELS, BELGIUM–Ireland's approval of a European Union reform treaty capped a two-decade-long roller-coaster ride to expand the union and widen its powers.
The experience has been so troubled that relief in EU capitals was palpable when Irish voters said "yes" to the 2007 Lisbon Treaty on Saturday – 16 months after rejecting it in a first vote.
But there are still hurdles. Politicians in Poland and the Czech Republic question the legality of changes enacted to get Ireland on board. After the 2008 Irish "no," Dublin won guarantees the EU will not gut its traditional neutrality, abortion ban or tax powers.
Experts say even if the treaty is passed by all members, EU governments may lack the will to take full advantage of reforms such as freer trade. A successfully reformed EU would have a president, a single foreign policy chief, less red tape and a European Parliament with more power over legislation. The assembly would get a say in drafting the EU budget. European voters able to collect 1 million signatures will be able force the EU to draft new rules. If a country was fed up, it could leave the club unilaterally.
No comments:
Post a Comment