There was a collective sigh of relief in Brussels this month when Germany’s constitutional court ruled that the Lisbon treaty was consistent with German law. This means Germany will be able ratify the treaty before the end of the year.

But not so fast. If you read the entire 147-page ruling, you realise that the court has given a damning verdict on future European integration. For example, it declared a hypothetical fiscal policy co-ordination or the establishment of a single European Union military command as unconstitutional.