Demissionaire Spaanse premier Aznar aanwezig op Europese top (en)

EUOBSERVER / BRUSSELS - EU leaders will meet for dinner on Thursday next week to discuss whether to get the Constitution negotiations off the ground - but it will be attended by one awkward guest: José Maria Aznar.

The out-going Spanish prime minister, whose party was ousted from power after the country's general elections on Sunday, will take part in the discussions although he took a very hard-line stance on the EU Constitution.

"It will be quite odd having Aznar there", one EU diplomat told the EUobserver "he won't really be able to sign up to the new government's positive position on Europe".

Indeed, Mr Aznar had adopted an uncompromising stance on the Constitution over the last six months - particularly on the proposed new voting system - until his last days in office.

But within a day of being voted into office, prime minister-elect José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero completely changed Spain's tone saying he wanted to "accelerate" an agreement on the Constitution.

So, Mr Aznar, who continues in his caretaker position, will have to bite his tongue and acknowledge Madrid's revised position on the Treaty blueprint throughout the dinner.

The meeting will be crucial as it is there that EU leaders will decide whether there is enough political will to formally revive the talks on the Constitution.

The discussions will be on the basis of a report drawn up by Irish prime minister and current head of the EU, Bertie Ahern, outlining the state of play for each of the contentious issues in the draft treaty.

If leaders agree, formal constitution talks could be called in the days directly after the summit.