Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2005-01-11-Speech-2-024"
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"en.20050111.5.2-024"2
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"Mr President, ladies and gentlemen, I congratulate Mr Corbett and Mr Méndez de Vigo on their outstanding report. This Constitution is indeed our baby, and even if it does have a few flaws, there are no ifs or buts in our commitment to it. We want it to grow and flourish.
Let me say, secondly, that the greatest challenge for the European Union is not Turkish membership in twenty years’ time, but the ratification of the European Constitution in two. It is by that that history will judge us, and – let me say – not just the politicians, but also the peoples of Europe. I have confidence in the peoples’ intelligence, and in that of their parliaments. In two years’ time, the Constitution will be in place. After all, what will happen if it is not?
Those who believe that the status quo under the Treaty of Nice will continue to prevail in Europe are hankering after an illusion. Europe will not shake itself down into a core Europe and a fringe Europe, either; on the contrary, without a European Constitution, the European Union will degenerate into a patchwork Europe, confusing the public at home and destroying Europe’s credibility in the eyes of the world. It would be criss-crossed by the axes and alliances of what would claim to be strategic partnerships. If the Constitution fails, we will revert to a Europe of plots and counter-plots, the old Europe, and it is precisely that that we do not want.
The Constitution brings to an end twelve years of intermittent reform, which have taken us from Maastricht to Nice via Amsterdam and from 12 to 15, and then to 25, Member States. Now at last, Europe can again give its full attention to the political challenges of the twenty-first century, which are enormous. We do, though, have a new basis on which to do this. The 25 different peoples, all of whom want to retain their identity – and will do so – who robbed and murdered each other, waged war on each other and laid each other waste for centuries; these 25 peoples are now indissolubly uniting their political destinies. No such thing has been done before in Europe’s history or that of the world. That is what makes our fight for this constitution so worthwhile.
Let me say, fourthly, that European unification was, for fifty years, an inward-looking affair, focussing on the accession and integration of new Member States. From now on, it must look outwards. Europe is not a world power, but it does have a world power’s responsibility, and that responsibility we have to be able to live up to. The twenty-first century will present Europeans with immense challenges: globalised business and financial flows, international terrorism, climate change and the disasters associated with it, and the flow of migrants. A new world order is coming into being – not in ten years’ time, but now!
Economically speaking, Europe is – still – a global player. Politically speaking, we are in the regional league. If we Europeans do not face up to these challenges now, we will be exiting the stage of world history – politically at first, and then – inevitably – economically. That is not the Europe for us to leave to our children. Europe’s response to globalisation is the unity of its peoples. That is our response to the challenges of the twenty-first century.
Let me conclude by saying that the Constitution provides two guiding lights for the European Union’s actions in the future. In the Charter of Fundamental Rights, the Constitution affirms that the EU exists not only to guarantee the freedoms of the market, but also so that the citizens may enjoy the freedoms to which they are entitled. Article 3 of the Constitution commits the EU to working towards peace, security and the sustainable development of the earth, thus affirming that the Union bears responsibility for our planet rather than existing for its own sake. Freedom for humanity and responsibility for the world – from these grows the new Europe’s identity."@en1
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