Treaty path leads the EU downhill

It is never wise to assume a successful outcome to a European Council negotiation until the ink on the presidency's conclusions is dry and the last head of government safely tucked up for the night. Nevertheless, in the immediate run-up to this week's (18-19 October) EU summit in Lisbon the political will in national capitals to wrap up the reform treaty was manifest. Perhaps only the unpredictable vagaries of a Polish election campaign combined with an uncertain grasp of European politics in Warsaw stand in the way of a final agreement.