Slovenia, which takes up the EU's rotating presidency on New Year's Day, is preparing itself for a torrid six months as most member states attempt to push the treaty through national parliaments before the summer.

Janez Jansa, Slovenia's prime minister, told The Daily Telegraph that a smooth ratification could not be taken for granted. "We cannot exclude the possibility that something will go wrong," he said.

The "sensitive cases" - Britain, France, the Netherlands and Ireland, which is required by its constitution to hold a referendum - are all expected to try to rush through ratification by the end of June 2008.

Mr Jansa said that after French and Dutch voters rejected the constitution in 2005, Europe's elites were using the parliamentary route rather than risky popular votes to ratify the accord.

EU officials and national governments have drawn up documents "mapping" the political obstacles ahead, Mr Jansa revealed.

To help Gordon Brown, the Prime Minister, get the new Treaty through Parliament, Brussels will delay proposals to scrap Britain's annual £3 billion rebate.

However, Labour MPs have warned ministers that they face a "dilemma" explaining to the public why no referendum would be held given that Labour promised a vote on the constitution in its 2005 general election manifesto.

Like the old constitution, the new treaty creates a permanent EU president, a "foreign minister" - known as the High Representative for Foreign Affairs - scraps 55 national vetoes and gives new legal authority for the EU, allowing it to sign international treaties.
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