EU: The prospect that the Government will be asked to chair the final negotiation of the EU's new constitutional treaty appeared increasingly possible last night amid continuing divisions between European leaders on important issues, Mark Brennock, Chief Political Correspondent, in Brussels
Government sources expressed little optimism last night that a deal could be done at this weekend's European Council meeting, after the Taoiseach held separate meetings with the Italian and British Prime Ministers and the French President.
Leaders remain as divided as ever on the issue of the relative weight to be given to each member-state in European Council votes.
Also, sensitive issues of importance to Ireland such as taxation, justice and defence have yet to be finalised.
Today will either be "a short day or a very long day", according to one Government source last night.
If there appears to be no prospect of a deal, Government sources said, the Italian EU presidency may decide to adjourn discussion of the treaty early today rather than have a further acrimonious and fruitless negotiation.
This would mean the Irish presidency starting on January 1st, would be charged with attempting to chair a successful negotiation of the treaty establishing a European constitution.
However, the Government still believed last night there was some prospect of a deal this weekend.
Bilateral meetings between the leaders continued until 1 a.m. yesterday morning, with the summit to resume at 11 a.m. this morning.
If it is felt this morning that there was a real possibility of reaching agreement, long negotiations are expected to continue throughout the day and into tomorrow.
Speaking to reporters yesterday, the Taoiseach said he did not agree with the view of the President of the European Council, Italian Prime Minister, Mr Silvio Berlusconi, that just two issues remained to be agreed. "He did make that comment before the second speaker spoke," he said, adding that by the time the third speaker spoke at the meeting, about ten issues had emerged.
"By the time we go around the 25 the list will be even longer but hopefully less than 83."
He said that Mr Berlusconi "hasn't shown his hand" yet by producing definitive compromise proposals on all the outstanding issues.
Mr Ahern also warned that if agreement was not reached this weekend, then everything would be open for negotiation again during the Irish presidency.
"You won't get to a position where people will say everything is agreed except two issues," Mr Ahern added. He said that he favoured staying at the negotiations while there was any prospect of agreement.
Asked when the negotiations might end he said: "Your guess is as good as mine."
He also expressed irritation at the slow pace of the negotiations yesterday saying that the normal business of the summit, not including the treaty negotiations, had been completed at around 11 a.m.
"It's twenty past four now and I'm twiddling my thumbs. I'd just rather get at it.
"The one thing the Irish presidency will try to do is get within ten minutes of the starting time, not three hours," he added