The fate of the European Union's expansion to 25 nations is in Ireland's hands, according to the Danish Prime Minister Mr Anders Fogh Rasmussen.
Mr Rasmussen, who takes over the EU presidency next Monday, said another Irish "no" to the Nice Treaty which makes enlargement possible would throw the whole project into doubt.
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Speaking in Copenhagen hours before the Irish Government was due to announce the wording for the second Nice referendum, Mr Rasmussen said another No vote would be a "political disaster".
The second referendum is expected to be held in late October, while the Danes are at the helm of the EU.
Mr Rasmussen has expressed serious fears that the outcome of the new referendum will again go the wrong way.
"That would be a political disaster, and the judgment of posterity will be severe," he warned.
He said: "A new `no' will jeopardise the whole enlargement process. We are really facing a big problem if the Nice Treaty is not ratified."
He insisted that the Danish EU presidency has no "plan B" in case of another Irish no, adding: "I have just learned a new expression, `We will cross that bridge when we reach it' - or something like that."
Negotiations for the accession of up to 10 EU member states are due to be completed by the end of this year. Mr Rasmussen said the issue was the top priority for the Danish presidency - assuming Irish voters did not vote no in October.
PA