Lisbon Treaty challenges

After years of painful negotiations, European leaders will finally sign the long-awaited Reform Treaty on Thursday in Lisbon. However, this might not be the end of the suffering, as the Lisbon Treaty will now have to face the challenges of ratification and implementation. 

Ratification is what brought its predecessor to the ground, when Dutch and French voters rejected the draft EU Constitution in 2005. Bitter political battles are programmed to occur yet again over ratification in several member states, especially the United Kingdom, where most citizens are keen to voice their opposition to the new treaty through a referendum.

Member states must also decide on a timetable for the implementation and on the identity of the first holders of the posts of President of the European Council and High Representative for Foreign Policy. Neither debate will be straightforward. The European Parliament has already begun a campaign to have implementation delayed until after the European elections of 2009. Moreover, we can expect bitter squabbles between member states over appointments to these posts. Horse-trading and package deals will doubtless form a central part of these negotiations.