The Estonian and Finnish parliaments have approved the Treaty of Lisbon, bringing the total number of member states to have given the green light to the treaty to 17.
Finland's parliament voted through the treaty on 11 June with 151 votes in favour and 27 against. Finnish MPs from the Left Alliance, the Social Democrats, the True Finn party and three rebel MPs from the ruling Centre party voted against ratification.
In the Estonian parliament, 91 MPs voted in favour on 11 June, with just one member, from the Reform party, voting against.
José Manuel Barroso, the president of the European Commission, thanked both parliaments, adding that the two votes “send a strong signal confirming the desire for the treaty to be ratified in good time to enter into force by 1 January 2009”.
But the crucial test for the Treaty of Lisbon comes tomorrow when the Irish referendum gets fully under way. Polls have shown a swing in favour of the No camp, but the three political parties that dominate Ireland's political landscape are urging the Irish to vote Yes. The result of the referendum in Ireland, which is the only country to put the treaty to popular vote, will be announced on Friday.
Other than Estonia and Finland, the countries that have approved the treaty are: Austria, Bulgaria, Denmark, France, Germany, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia and Slovenia.
