Ball is passed to Ireland as constitutional game gets messy

EVERYBODY agrees that Europe is in crisis following the spectacular collapse of the EU leaders’ meeting in Brussels last weekend. The only issue is the magnitude of the crisis.

Slowly, bewildered diplomats and politicians are piecing together what went on when the 25 European countries, the European Parliament and the Commission were supposed to be agreeing a Constitution.

Many people were optimistic that they were going to succeed. Others believed they would fail.