Greece becomes 18th EU member to ratify Lisbon Treaty
Athens - The Greek Parliament's overwhelmingly approval brought to three the number of EU countries to green-light in one day a treaty on reforming the 27-member European Union.
The Finnish and Estonian parliaments had approved the Treaty of Lisbon earlier Wednesday while an Irish referendum was set on the reforms Thursday.
The vote late Wednesday in Greece's Parliament was 250 in favour, mainly members from the ruling conservative party and the Socialist opposition, and 42 against.
Its approval brought to 18 the number of countries to ratify the treaty. All 27 EU member states must ratify it for it to go into effect.
The treaty's fate hangs in the balance in Ireland, where opinion polls showed voters about evenly divided on the issue.
It is the only country deciding on the treaty by popular vote. All other EU countries are putting the treaty up before their parliaments.
The Lisbon Treaty would replace a more ambitious draft constitution rejected by French and Dutch voters in 2005 amid concerns that it might erode member states' sovereignty.
The Lisbon charter, forged in December after difficult negotiations, sets to reshape EU institutions. It seeks to reduce the number of members of the European Commission and strengthen the authority of its president and foreign policy chief. It also seeks to increase policy areas in which decisions could be made by majority votes rather than requiring unanimous approval.
"The treaty is definitely a compromise, but it is also a meaningful step for Europe that we all want," Greek Prime Minister Costas Karamanlis said during the debate in Parliament. "Europe is the present and future for all Greeks."
Earlier, the Finnish Parliament approved the treaty by a 151-27 vote. President Tarja Halonen must sign the treaty within three months for it to be ratified.
In Estonia, the ratification bill passed 91-1.
"Today's ratification decisions by the Estonian and Finnish parliaments are sending a pro-European message of encouragement to Ireland," Estonian President Toomas Hendrik Ilves said.
Ireland's three leading political parties, who have pushed hard for a yes vote, were holding their breath ahead of Thursday's referendum.
As polls showed the result was balanced on a knife-edge, Prime Minister Brian Cowen, in his final push for a yes vote, said if there was a no vote, Ireland could not wait another eight years for reform of the EU to compete with emerging economies such as China and India.
There has been a surge in support for the no campaign to 35-39 per cent while those in the yes camp are down to 30-42 per cent, leaving about one-third of the 3.1 million-strong electorate undecided.
Cowen warned that Europe would go back to an uncertain situation if the Lisbon Treaty was defeated and said he believed it was crucial to Ireland's future prospects.
Fears about job security, farming, taxes and religion have dominated the treaty debate in a country that has been one of the main beneficiaries of EU largesse.
The mood has also been affected by a sharp fall in growth that has raised fears the "Celtic Tiger" is losing its bite, leaving people worried about their financial futures.
The nationalist Sinn Fein party has opposed the treaty, and its president, Gerry Adams, said he wants the government to renegotiate the Lisbon Treaty to include opt-outs or vetoes on issues such as neutrality, public services and workers' rights. (dpa)