EU:Taoiseach Bertie Ahern says the EU will grow stronger and more politically integrated over the next 50 years but it will not have its own army for a generation.
In Berlin to celebrate the EU's 50th birthday party, Mr Ahern also forecast the union would solve the problem of the EU constitution but warned time was running out.
"I think somewhere around the way and hopefully by June a dose of reality will have to hit [ EU leaders] and that we really have 18 months," said Mr Ahern. "But 18 months is sufficient once people don't start opening up everything again."
He said one of the problems at the moment was that many of the leaders at the EU summit had not been in power to take part in the negotiations on the constitution. Once they started looking at the problem they would realise it was far easier to stick closely to the 2004 agreement than open it up again for negotiation, he said.
Mr Ahern said he supported the German plan to set a roadmap in June, which includes an intergovernmental conference rather than establish a new convention.
"What you need is a small process of engagement . . . if this is put out again to free consumption all over Europe they won't fix it until 2040," said Mr Ahern.
Mr Ahern said he thought the EU would not have its own army for a generation and played down comments from German chancellor Angela Merkel suggesting she wanted one. He said she was talking about foreign policy and not an EU army.