Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2000-02-02-Speech-3-083"
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"en.20000202.6.3-083"2
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"Mr President, there are days when I really cannot understand this Parliament. It seems to take a masochistic pleasure in self-mutilation. After having restricted, on its own initiative, its participation in the IGC to two minor seats, Parliament is now giving up the right to add to the agenda for this IGC. The fact is, whether through weakness or foolishness – nothing to be proud of either way, you will admit – in rushing to give its opinion, Parliament is giving up the only lever which the Treaty accords it, i.e. demanding a complete IGC agenda as a prerequisite before declaring its opinion.
Why do we have to vote on this opinion tomorrow, 3 February, as a matter of urgency, when we could wait, in a position of strength, until the opening of the Strasbourg part-session on 14 February, and thus force an agenda that is complete, and therefore consistent, on the Council. A good dose of hypocrisy is needed to overlook our weakness today. Hypocrisy to be regretted bitterly, in our resolution, that the agenda for the IGC is not equal to the issues, since in our haste, with blameworthy naivety, we are stopping ourselves forcing through this more ambitious agenda.
If there is a democratic deficit at the end of this IGC, then I say that the political groups which so wanted this haste will be accountable for this. Whether we want it or not, since Parliament itself is going to extinguish the only spotlight capable of shedding a little light on the debates, the venue for decisions is now going to move to the 15 Member States of the Union. I therefore invite the Members of Parliament who form the great majority, those who last November ruled that the future of Europe was deserving of debates that went far wider than the Amsterdam leftovers, to take up their pilgrims’ staffs and go and convince their own governments that this IGC must be extended, since this is permitted according to the resolution of the Helsinki Council.
Because of the situation in Austria, this is a dark day for Europe. It makes us realise that the victory of democracy is never definitive, and that we have to work to convince and keep on convincing. In order to assert our fundamental values, they need to be laid down in writing, as a matter of urgency, and, beyond this IGC, I believe we owe Europe a constitution."@en1
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