A Plan B for the Lisbon Treaty

Wolfgang Münchau, Financial Times | June 16, 2008

The EU will likely find a way to implement the Lisbon treaty despite Ireland's failure to ratify the document. ++ France and Germany have already indicated their willingness to "drive the Irish out of the EU if they fail to reverse their No vote." ++ As long as the treaty avoids further defeats in the eight countries that have yet to ratify it, then the EU could exert unbearable pressure on Ireland to hold a second referendum or even withdraw from the EU. ++ Ireland, rather than the EU, would suffer the most from such a development.