Novermber 3rd 2009
http://www.thefirstpost.co.uk/55534,...-can-be-signed

Well, that’s it. The Czech constitutional court has ruled – as everyone said it would – that the Lisbon Treaty is in line with the country’s constitution, and President Vaclav Klaus now has no option but to ratify it.

Which means the treaty can be signed into European law at a meeting in Brussels next week, and a EU president and foreign secretary appointed as soon as the union’s prime ministers can agree on which of various Euro-suits to pick.

Likeliest contenders are Dutch prime minister Jan Peter Balkenende, former Finnish PM Paavo Lipponen and Luxembourg PM Jean-Claude Juncker.

Tony Blair still isn’t totally out of the picture, but it is very unlikely he will be chosen given the unease in Angela Merkel’s camp in particular, and the general feeling that his support of the Iraq war can never be forgiven. Gordon Brown and Lord Mandelson are still pushing for Blair, but with little chance of success.