Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2005-01-11-Speech-2-047"
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"en.20050111.5.2-047"2
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"Mr President, ladies and gentlemen, the resolution on the European Constitutional Treaty has been written in a very positive spirit. We seem to be commending a flawless piece of work, as if we were unaware of its weaknesses. We should not, however, ignore the voices warning of the shortcomings of the present draft Constitution. We may decide that, despite every effort, this Constitution is neither transparent nor comprehensible. I am also struck by the fact that the motion for a resolution does not allow for much democratic discussion, thus branding those who have their reservations about the Treaty as anti-European.
The European Constitution is a practical instrument that will affect European integration for decades to come. Europe can set out on the road either towards a bureaucratic federalist superstate, or towards the political opposite, a liberal and competitive Europe. Let us make it quite clear that adopting or failing to adopt the European Constitution is a predominantly political matter, and not a prerequisite for integration. It is therefore entirely legitimate to vote both for the Constitution and against it.
Ratification is often portrayed as an essential step which should not be open to too much discussion. Advocates of the European Constitution sometimes even threaten that the Union will not allow itself to be held back by just a few countries not ratifying the Constitution, and that these countries will be marginalised and will have to content themselves with some lesser form of affiliation. I consider this approach to be very unfair.
I have already repeatedly referred to the risk that democratic principles will be violated; I grew up in a political system where a cheerful and happy ‘yes’ vote was the only possible choice at every election. I should now like to issue a warning against the use of these same principles.
I am not trying to target the Constitutional Treaty directly. I simply wish to emphasise the need for open and democratic discussion, and to stress that a failure to adopt the Constitution is not a disaster, nor does it mean an end to the process of integration in Europe. On the contrary, it might lead to more profound consideration as to where European integration is heading and where the voters would really like to see it. Thank you for your attention."@en1
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