Tony Blair on Monday sought to mend fences with France and Germany over the crisis that has engulfed the European constitution by acknowledging that parts of the treaty must be salvaged at some future date. As the government announced suspension of parliamentary ratification of the EU treaty until the fate of the constitution became clearer, the prime minister also called on the EU to engage in a debate about economic reform.

But he acknowledged that any future reform could not fully dismantle the welfare systems France and Germany enjoy.