While other European Union leaders left Brussels yesterday
downcast by their inability to secure a deal on the bloc's first
constitution, Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi departed
on a wave of optimism.
"Some people see the glass half empty, I see the glass half
full," a smiling Mr Berlusconi said during a final news conference
following the breakdown of talks on the constitution.
As president of the European Union over the past six months,
Italy has led the fraught negotiations on the historic charter,
but Mr Berlusconi refused to accept that the impasse reflected
badly on Rome.
"It hasn't been a success, it has been a triumph," he told
reporters, referring to Italy's stint at the helm of the EU.
He started his news conference by listing the successes of the two-day summit. "I want to begin with...the many positive things," he said.
But a few minutes later, he admitted that there had been
"total disagreement" over the voting system in the constitution
which had brought the negotiations grinding to a halt.
Meanwhile, the Taoiseach, Mr Ahern, has said he would wait until March before reviving formal negotiations on the proposed European constitution.
Mr Ahern said he would report to the next EU summit in March about progress in bilateral contacts with member states before recommending when the EU leaders should meet again to take up the draft constitution.
Speaking to reporters, Mr Ahern said he did not sense "people are waiting for the first of January," when Ireland assumes the presidency, "to get back into" the negotiations.