EU leaders have finally broken the deadlock over a Constitution following a tumultuous meeting in Brussels. It took until the early hours of Saturday morning before a compromise was reached on the outlines of a new EU Treaty.
What should have been a summit to shake the EU out of its gloom turned into marathon negotiations that more than once teetered on the brink of collapse.
The resulting text - an update of existing treaties - is a complex web of opt-outs and compromises in the best - or worst - of EU tradition. But it was fêted as a success by worn-out European leaders as they staggered out at 4.30 am on Saturday.
"We wanted a simplified treaty, we got it. We wanted to get out of the deadlock, we did it," insisted French President Nicholas Sarkozy.
Perhaps to her own surprise, German Chancellor Angela Merkel managed to clinch a deal with Polish President Lech Kaczynski, who eventually accepted a compromise on new voting rights.
"If we had not achieved this today, we would have ended up in a rather disastrous situation," a bleary-eyed Ms Merkel told reporters.
Out in the cold
The ruling Kaczynski twins held out until the early hours against the 'double-majority' voting system on the grounds that it cuts Warsaw's voting power and gives more say to big countries, especially Germany.
Their resistance and their bitter remarks about the German invasion during the Second World War caused a stink at the meeting and cemented their reputation as the problem child of the EU.
To get the Poles on board, the other 26 countries were forced to swallow a long delay to the introduction of the new voting system, which now comes into force in 2017, not 2009.
"But I don't think it was possible to leave the biggest East European nation out in the cold," said Sarkozy.
Old-style treaty
The 'reform treaty' that emerged is a far-cry from the Constitution - rejected by the Dutch and the French in 2005 - which set out to simplify and speed up EU decision-making and make it transparent to ordinary citizens.
The new treaty was however declared a triumph by Britain, the Netherlands and France, which managed to get it so paired-down that it will probably not need approval by referendum - with the ensuing risk of a 'No'.
"We've got a good treaty with which the Netherlands and the EU can move forward," Dutch leader Jan-Peter Balkenende declared. "This is really something different from two years ago, we got rid of the Constitution."
Orange card
The Dutch managed to get an 'orange card' - a halfway house to their demand of a 'red card' - to give more power to national governments to block a proposal by the European Commission.
Meanwhile, the British trumpeted their opt-out on the Charter of Fundamental Rights and on closer cooperation in justice and police affairs, which they say would have encroached on national sovereignty.
They also welcomed the removal of symbols such as the 12-star EU flag, especially contentious for more euro-sceptic nations.
EU à la carte
This watering-down of the original Constitution has caused dismay among the 18 countries that ratified it, which had sought to maintain a stronger text. But all agree that it will in the end smooth decision-making.
The EU will also have more clout on the world stage thanks to an EU President and the new post of High Commissioner for Foreign Affairs - in effect, an EU foreign minister.
As with all compromises, the reform treaty leaves most parties hankering for more.
But that there was a deal at all is to the credit of the German Chancellor and her refusal to let fellow leaders leave the grey Council building until there was good news to tell.
As a final flourish, Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso handed a large bunch of flowers to the weary Chancellor.
"Liebe Angela, in the name of Europe, I thank you."
Tags: blair, brussels, compromise, constitution, eu, kaczynski, merkel, poland, sarkozy