German Chancellor Angela Merkel today rejected any idea that the European Union could move on without Ireland after the rejection of the Lisbon Treaty here.
There “is no other way” than proceeding together, Ms Merkel said this morning ahead of a crisis summit in Brussels that started today.
“A two-speed Europe is not the way forward,” she told lawmakers in the lower house of parliament, the Bundestag, in Berlin today.
“We must ensure that treaties in the EU are promoted unanimously.”
Ms Merkel, speaking before flying to Brussels to meet with fellow EU leaders to discuss ways to rescue the Lisbon Treaty, said the bloc must proceed quickly with efforts to forge a more united Europe after Irish voters rejected the document in a referendum last week.
“The European council must take a decision as quickly as possible,” Ms Merkel added. She said it was necessary “to know in what way and how we carry through the European elections in June 2009.”
“Europe cannot afford another phase of reflection,” Ms Merkel said. “European unity has and will always guide me”.
British Foreign Secretary David Miliband said it was important for the EU to prove it could now focus on the “issues that matter”.
He told reporters it had to respond to the Irish No vote in a manner that was “respectful, calm and above all listens.
“I think there is unity across the European Union that the respect and space that the Irish Prime Minister has asked for should be delivered,” he added. “The next decisions are for the Irish Government.”
Britain gave the treaty a boost by completing parliamentary ratification yesterday, winning Prime Minister Gordon Brown praise from French President Nicolas Sarkozy on a stopover in Paris.
The Czech Republic has stalled the ratification process pending a constitutional court ruling not due before October, and Poland's Eurosceptical president has held up signing the bill approved by parliament.
The main Polish conservative opposition party said the Irish No vote could mean the plan will go the same way as the defunct EU constitution it was due to replace, killed off by French and Dutch "No" votes in 2005.
President Toomas Hendrik Ilves completed Estonia's ratification of the European Union's Lisbon Treaty today when he signed it into law.
The treaty, which must have the approval of all 27 EU countries to take effect, was rejected by Ireland's voters last week but other members are continuing the ratification process.
The bill was passed by Estonia's parliament on June 11th and Mr Ilves's office said the president signed it today.
Meanwhile, Sinn Fein MEP Mary Lou McDonald said today she could back a new treaty if binding assurances were given on neutrality, workers' rights and public services.
"In the event that the governments come back with a new treaty that addresses the issues of concern ... I will personally argue for us to support that treaty," said Ms McDonald.
"What we will not do is accept a reheated version of Lisbon ... Lisbon is over. The treaty is over."
Agencies