Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2003-09-24-Speech-3-058"

Predicate	Value (sorted: default)
rdf:type	lpv_eu:Speech2
dcterms:Date	"2003-09-24"^^xsd:date2
dcterms:Is Part Of	lp_eu:European Constitution and IGC2
dcterms:Language	"nl"^^xsd:language2
lpv:document identification number	"en.20030924.1.3-058"2
lpv:hasSubsequent	lp_eu:2003-09-24-Speech-3-0592
lpv:speaker	lp:Margrietus van den Berg2
lpv:spokenAs	vice-chair; PES (1999-07-20--2004-07-19)3 unknown; Partij van de Arbeid (1999-07-20--2004-07-19)3 vice-chair; Committee on Development and Cooperation (2002-01-22--2004-07-19)3 member; Members from the European Parliament to the Joint Parliamentary Assembly of the Agreement between the African, Caribbean and Pacific States and the European Union (ACP-EU) (2002-02-06--2004-07-19)3 substitute; AFCO (2002-01-17--2004-07-19)3 member; Delegation for relations with the countries of Central America and Mexico (2002-02-07--2004-07-19)3
lpv:translated text	"Mr President, 2004 will be the year of the European constitution. Despite initial scepticism, the Convention has managed to strike an admirable compromise. The constitution will certainly contain things that we in this House would have preferred differently. However, the result still deserves our support. First of all, I should like to express my surprise at the fact that some, including the Dutch Government, argue in favour of including God – Christianity – in the European constitution. If this were done, where would that leave the separation of state and religion, on which modern democracy – the very foundation of our united Europe – is based? Is God not above the law? How can Liberal government parties endorse this? Secondly, we indicated in the resolution that all Member States should hold referendums on the constitution, where possible, according to the constitution, on the day of the European elections. I myself am a great supporter of a referendum. I think that an important decision about the European constitution cannot be left to Heads of Government alone. Such a referendum is likely to take place in my country, the Netherlands, and I am delighted at this, especially now that it transpires that more than 80% of the Dutch population intend to vote. Unfortunately, the Dutch Government appears very divided about the referendum and lacks a clear European profile. That does nothing to help our citizens; on the contrary, it puts them at a distance. Europe achieves too little, is insufficiently transparent, has to contend with a democratic deficit and sometimes interferes in matters that can be dealt with nearer to the citizen. These are precisely the areas that we intend to improve by means of this constitution, which allows the European Union to function more effectively and more democratically and which, moreover, gives the EU a social and political dimension, and this is why we ask for the support of our citizens in the referendum. Finally, I urge the Heads of Government, and certainly also the Dutch Prime Minister, not to engage in backroom analyses where the constitution is concerned. Basic values, social fundamental rights and more democracy must be defended and not weakened by alleged national interests, which would send us back to this cursed backroom in Nice, where the government produced something of little consequence. I should like to thank both rapporteurs. Let us give Europe back to the citizens."@en1

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