19 June 2008

FRANCE - French President Nicolas Sarkozy will try to convince his EU partners to have Ireland hold another referendum on the Lisbon treaty, the online edition of the daily Le Figaro reported Thursday.

Citing advisors to the French president, the daily said that Sarkozy will push that option at the two-day EU summit that begins later Thursday in Brussels.

However, one source said that "no miracle solution is to be expected on Friday. The Irish themselves will have to come up with the answers."

In addition, Sarkozy will also push to have the treaty ratification process continue, despite the Irish rejection in a June 12 referendum.

"We will not touch the Lisbon treaty, because if we do we will have to start from zero," one advisor said. The hope is that once the 26 other EU members have ratified it, the Irish will want to have another look at their vote.

France assumes the rotating six-month EU presidency on July 1, and will have to deal with the political fallout from the Irish vote.

[dpa/Expatica]