Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2000-10-24-Speech-2-061"
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"en.20001024.3.2-061"2
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"Mr President, Mr Duhamel’s report, which we are discussing today, is a very important one to my mind. After all, it concerns the all-important question of how the process of European unification is to be further developed. It is about the future of the European Union. As is well known, opinion on this differs widely in the various Member States and amongst the various forces of society. This is also replicated in my own group. As I see it, this diversity of opinion is indispensable, and also enriches the process, because if we want to build a common European house, we must keep a close eye on whether everyone is keen to live there and also accepts it as their own.
The previous round of European elections showed us just how far the Union still has to go to achieve this goal: low election turn-out, prejudice, justifiable frustration at the lack of democracy and transparency, over-regulation, bureaucracy and opaque decision-making processes. Unfortunately, none of this has changed yet. But there is an extremely urgent need for radical change. Our Parliament, as the only institution of the Union to have democratic legitimacy, has a big responsibility to lead the way in this respect. Which is precisely why I welcome this report. We need to simplify and reorganise the Treaties as a matter of urgency. The text of the Treaties must be comprehensible, above all from the point of view of the citizens. We need to instigate a constitutional process. The Nice Summit must pave the way for this by granting the necessary mandate, initiating a procedure and setting a timetable. Having said that, Mr President, I am more than sceptical about one particular aspect. Firstly, I do not think we will be able, realistically speaking, to adopt the constitution called for in the report in time for next elections in 2004, and secondly, nor should we in my opinion. After all, it is unacceptable for the fifteen Member States alone to discuss and decide on a constitution, when we all know full well that by the end of this decade the European Union will have 27 members.
As I see it, there are three key points: firstly, we need a truly wide-ranging public debate in all the Member States. Secondly, the candidate countries must be directly, and fully, involved. Thirdly, I am absolutely convinced that a constitution could only have democratic legitimacy if it were to be made the subject of a Union-wide referendum, because what this in fact amounts to is something akin to the re-establishment of the Union by its citizens. Should we do otherwise, then I do not think a Europe of the citizens will be within our reach."@en1
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