With just one day to go until the leaders of the European Union gather in Brussels, it seems no one has any idea if the summit is going to be a resounding success or a huge flop. Germany, as current EU president, is attempting to revive parts of the aborted European constitution to create a new treaty, but has run up against Polish and British objections to the new agreement.

Germany presented its draft mandate of the treaty on Tuesday to the 27 member countries, and now EU diplomats are trying to iron out the final sticking points before the leaders meet in Brussels Thursday and Friday. All 27 member states have to agree to a new treaty, and if Poland or Britain block the deal, it could plunge the EU into a prolonged crisis.

Poland's intransigence seemed to ease on Wednesday, however, as Warsaw indicated that it would not use its veto to block the treaty. Poland seems to have been placated by the inclusion of a footnote in the draft treaty which mentions their objections to the new voting system. But now it looks like Britian could be the problem.

On Tuesday a furious Jose Manuel Barroso lashed out at the two countries for their stance in the run up to the talks. The EU Commission president warned the countries that if they killed the deal, they would face isolation and could expect less generosity from Brussels in the future.

Poland Downplays Veto Fears

On Wednesday Poland seemed to be moving in the direction of compromise. Although Polish Prime Minister Jaroslaw Kaczynski was still sticking to his guns on Tuesday, saying that Poland's position would be defended "with full ruthlessness," adding "there is no Plan B." But by Wednesday he was making more conciliatory noises.

In an interview with the mass circulation newspaper Bild, he said it was a good omen that his brother President Lech Kaczynski was travelling to Brussels, "I would only have gone if it had been about a veto. In order to say: we do not agree." He added that Poland's concerns would not necessarily create an impasse. "At the moment, all we want is for a debate about the voting system to be allowed," he told the paper.

Poland is objecting to the new "double majority" voting system, whereby decisions are no longer made unanimously but rather by a combination of 55 percent of EU states, which have to represent at least 65 percent of the total EU population. Poland, worried about losing influence under the new rules, wants the system renegotiated and has suggested an alternative "square root" system.

While the draft mandate, presented on Tuesday, includes the voting system, the Germans have added a footnote in which the objections of the both Poland and Czech Republic are mentioned.

Poland's chief EU negotiator Marek Cichocki welcomed this as "a first step in the right direction." He told Reuters: "Berlin for the first time admitted there is a problem with the voting system."

EU diplomats told the Associated Press that a compromise aimed at easing Polish concerns was being studied, which could delay a new voting system until 2014.

Barroso Warns of Repercussions

On Tuesday European Commission President Barroso said the new member states from Central and Eastern Europe need to show that the enlarged union is still capable of making decisions. "It would be in their interest to show that their membership of the EU is not making the union's life more difficult," he said in Strasbourg.

He also warned against any reopening of the "carefully designed balances" on institutional matters, particularly voting, as this "could reopen many other issues."

He also took a swipe at the recent British objections  to the draft treaty. "Try to be constructive; all member states defend their positions, but don't come with this 'red line' and veto," he said. "These are not the proper words for a union that wants to deliver." And in a veiled threat about how Poland or Britain could be treated in future budget talks if they were to block the deal, he said: "The mechanism of solidarity will naturally be weakened because there will be the shadow ... of some mistrust."

On Monday, British Prime Minister Tony Blair announced a set of four "red lines" that could not be breached. London is objecting to the Charter of Fundamental Rights, has questioned the role of a single EU foreign minister and does not want to give up British control over justice, foreign policy or tax and benefits arrangements.