European Union foreign ministers said today they would keep the Lisbon Treaty alive despite Ireland's No vote, but conceded they had no quick fixes for rescuing it.
Their monthly meeting in Luxembourg was a first opportunity for EU officials to start picking up the pieces after last Thursday's referendum cast doubt over the survival of the treaty.
Speaking after the meeting, Minister for Foreign Affairs Micheál Martin insisted it was "far too early" for proposals on salvaging a treaty which will not now come into force on January 1st as planned.
"The people's decision has to be respected and we have to chart a way through. There are no quick fix solutions," he said.
German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier hoped for a solution this year and suggested a re-vote might be possible after adaptations to the treaty to address Irish concerns.
"There are thoughts about whether the Danish model of 1992 might be a model," he said, referring to wide-ranging opt-outs granted to Denmark that enabled the Danes to endorse the Maastricht Treaty after an initial referendum thumbs-down.
Slovenian Foreign Minister Dimitrij Rupel, who chaired today's talks, insisted the EU was not in a crisis. "As in previous such situations, we shall overcome," he told a news conference. "I am convinced that sooner or later these reforms will see the light of day."
EU leaders will want to hear from Taoiseach Brian Cowen at a summit in Brussels later this week whether he sees any hope of winning a new referendum, a step whic has so far not been ruled out but which one which EU leaders believe is a high-risk strategy.
Mr Cowen briefed British prime minister Gordon Brown today on the likely implications of the Ireland’s No vote.
The two leaders met on the margins of US President George Bush's visit to Belfast. After their meeting, Mr Cowen said Mr Brown's comments had been "measured and constructive, and recognised the need for the EU member states to work together calmly and constructively to find a way to deal with the undoubted difficulties which arise from the referendum result".
The Taoiseach added that he would be briefing all member state leaders at the European Council on Thursday.
He said that while he understood that the result of the referendum gave rise to deep disappointment among other EU leaders, "it would be important for all the member states to work together in finding an acceptable path forward".
Earlier Mr Brown said a short period of reflection was necessary to allow "the Irish put forward proposals about how they will deal with this.”
France said today that the EU had damaged its cause by failing to respond to public anger over rising food and fuel prices, with some fearing the bloc's image would suffer a further blow if this week's summit did not look at the issue.
Almost all member states except the wavering Czechs say ratification should continue elsewhere in the bloc.
"The treaty is not dead. The EU is in constant crisis management - we go from one crisis to another and finally we find a solution," Finnish Foreign Minister Alexander Stubb told reporters, noting the bloc had dealt with past voter setbacks.
Ahead of a trip to Prague today by President Nicolas Sarkozy, Czech Deputy Prime Minister Alexandr Vondra urged France not to put pressure on his country and the other eight member states who have yet to endorse the pact.
"The Lisbon treaty may be unpassable in the Czech Senate," daily Hospodarske Noviny quoted Vondra as saying.
Britain has said it will defy domestic Eurosceptic pressure and complete ratification in its parliament this week. But Foreign Secretary David Miliband said: "There will be no bulldozing of the Irish government or the Irish people."
EU Enlargement Commissioner Olli Rehn said the Irish vote did not diminish the bloc's commitment to admit new members from southeastern Europe, in apparent contrast to doubts raised by European Parliament President Hans-Gert Poettering.
Labour leader Eamon Gilmore is to attend a meeting of party leaders of the party of European Socialists in Brussels on Thursday to brief them about the Lisbon referendum campaign.
Mr Gilmore said: "Other Labour and Social Democratic politicians throughout Europe I have spoken to since the result became known have been understanding on the outcome of the referendum.
"Many acknowledged that they too would have had difficulty in securing support in a referendum on the Lisbon Treaty in their own countries."
He said he would stress that the decision of the Irish electorate has to be fully respected and "that there can certainly be no question of putting the same treaty back to another referendum in."
Speaking this morning, Mr Martin said there would be "no quick solution". While acknowledging that Ireland's No vote would have "significant implications and consequences for the European Union, Mr Martin said he would also emphasise at today's meeting that the decision of the Irish people "must be respected".
Speaking on RTÉ's Morning Irelandprogramme, Mr Martin added that "time and space" was required to analyse the underlying reasons as to why Ireland voted against the treaty.
"We do not want a two-speed Europe,'' Mr Martin said. "We don't want to be in the slow lane".