The European Union is at an impasse following Ireland's rejection of the Lisbon Treaty by a referendum. It may be tempting to see this as essentially an internal Brussels problem, but it is in fact a debate about the future of the EU on the world stage and is therefore of importance to a wider international audience. Parts of the Lisbon Treaty can and should be salvaged for sound, democratic reasons. The primary focus of this article is on the role of the European External Action Service.
