Future commissioners from Cyprus and Estonia are likely to find themselves in the de facto role of junior or deputy commissioners. There is a plan to let some states integrate faster than others, so-called reinforced cooperation. London's greatest but largely unspoken fear is that if closer cooperation is made easier, the 11 euro zone countries may move to formalise their role and harmonise taxation and budgetary policies, making a British decision on the single currency even tougher than it is. Laurent Fabius, the French finance minister, who is worried by the weakness of the euro in the global currency markets, is a key figure here. Diplomats predict that the outcome at Nice will be just enough for the French to be able to claim success.
Failure is unthinkable.
And it's better to have a bad treaty than no treaty at all. Other big issues seem likely to be put off. Divisive plans for an EU charter of fundamental rights may be boiled down to a declaration, with a promise to take it up again in future, probably in the new IGC that Germany is already demanding. The same is true of plans to look at the hot potato that is a future EU constitution. France is certain to mount a big push on defence, where Mr Chirac has forged a powerful alliance with Mr Blair.