Tony Blair seems to be living under the impression that the EU Constitution is required for the 10 new members to join next year. He is mistaken. All the measures required for enlargement were brought about by the Nice Treaty.
Or at least thats what the Irish people were told in two referenda. No to Nice = two fingers to former communist countries, we were told.
But I’m not so sure. The first result of Nice should have been accepted by Europe, instead it was ignored, and then reheld a year later.
The language of Blair is strikingly similar to that used by European politicians in the lead up to Nice 2. How odd. When Jack Straw was on the Today programme this morning I was struck that his position is exactly that of the Irish government in 2002 – arguing that Nice is *needed*.
But Nice has already been passed in the UK, it never went to referendum. The streamlining he speaks has already been done through Nice. So what is the real motive?