When EU leaders signed the Lisbon Treaty in late 2007, it seemed that the constitutional process in Europe was finally close to fruition. For many, the seemingly imminent conclusion of this lengthy process, which had started in 2000 or even earlier and which had absorbed much of the Union's capacity for policy and compromise, came as a great relief. Although the results of the Irish referendum have led to some disillusion, it is evident that - whatever the final outcome might be - for the time ...