Sarkozy is accused of blackmail over EU Treaty

Patrick Hennessy and Justin Stares
London Telegraph
Sunday, June 22, 2008

Nicolas Sarkozy has been accused of putting the brakes on European Union expansion in a desperate attempt to salvage the Lisbon Treaty.

The Conservatives said the French president was "blackmailing" the rest of the EU by claiming that moves to bring more nations into the union - starting with Croatia - would have to be put on hold in the wake of this month’s “No” vote on the Treaty in the Irish referendum.

The Treaty, which seeks to abolish dozens of national vetoes, hand new powers to Brussels and create the post of EU president, cannot come into operation until all 27 member states have ratified it.

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Britain, which is not holding a public vote, completed its parliamentary process last week. But its formal ratification of the Treaty has been postponed at the request of a High Court judge, who is hearing an application to force a referendum.

Full article here.

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