As you were informed a New Treaty of the European Communities named as Reform Treaty was preliminary agreed on a special meeting in Lisbon October 19th of 2007. This treaty will be signed by Heads of Member States in a special occasion in Lisbon (and after that will remain in History as Lisbon Treaty ).
For the details on the Treaty see a nice article in Wikipedia here
In this article i will not present the Treaty as a whole but i would like to point the procedure to be followed by member states considering the need for ratification before being in force. First of all the new Treaty is trying to minimize the name “Constitution”. With technicalities are trying to persuade European Citizens that this time is not a constitution. Probably having in mind that negative reactions to the effort of ratification of a European Constitution, was based on the sense of loosing national sovereignity over a supranational structure.
I would agree on that in general. Is a certainty that political powers disliking the idea of EU as a over the nation structure played with nationalism and fear. But their arguments were based on the reality of EU institutions today. A far away bureaucracy based on limited democratic decisions, expressing often views against national interests, promising a social cohesion that dint arrive yet, gave strong arguments to the opposition of the Constitution. Other sensitive issues as the step by step creation of a common foreign policy (which is not the case today with lot of examples), the creation of a single legal entity of EU in order to be entitled to sign international agreements, the change of balance within European Parliament and the fear of small states (Baltics, Slovakia, Slovenia, Malta and Cyprus) that new system will minimize their voices and political weight, were strong reasons to reject the Constitution.
So do we have new conditions today that are promising a more favourite political climate towards the Treaty? Or is just an effort to enable ratifications by avoiding referrendums in various member states? The intentions of Brussels bureaucracy are obvious :
1. We will change the name from Constitution to Treaty – symbolizing a continuation of the current system.
2. We will under- communicate the famous European Identity towards national identities. Means we will not mention clearly the new symbols to be used (anthem, flag etc) in order to calm the fear of pure nationalists in member states.
3. We will give as gift the clause of Leaving the Union is Possible (LUP clause). So nationalists not to get annoyed because you could leave if you want…
4. We are not changing the core foundations of the creation of a new Union. New political governance will remain the same, permanent EU President will be elected, High Commissioner for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy would be appointed (an EU Minister of Foreign Affairs).
5. On the other hand Reform Treaty is trying to manage the opposition of making European Charter for Human Rights legally binding (decision would be made in Lisbon in December…)
And finally the main issue, the role of National Parliaments: The new Article 8c provides a framework of cooperation between EU and national parliaments. Dutch Prime Minister was objecting the article trying to secure a more important role of national parliaments, so short to speak “would be able to avoid referendum”.
Now add to the above problem the new voting system in the European Council (with elimination of unanimity in decisions, the proportions of majority that leaves out any legislative initiative by small member states (with the exemption of 1994’s Ioannina’s Compromise)
Under the current political juncture, ratification of the Reform treaty must be open, democratic and after a long dialogue. The pressure for the Treaty to be ratified within 2008, putting major effort to avoid referendums must be avoided. Starting from my country and having as a principle the under information on the Reform Treaty, citizens of the Union must speak. If we really want to create a sense of solidarity, democratic values and just governance of the new EU: there is only one sollution- A common referendum initiated by citizens or political parties. Even if we understand the pressure of nexe EU parliamentary elections in 2009 (so the numbers of MPs per member state must be known…) we have to organize a Pan European Dialogue, with access to all the information available.
I believe strongly, that new form of EU is needed. new legislative measures must be taken. But me and other organizations of Citizens we would like to see a more transparent and democratic procedure to be followed this time. The sense of nations deciding alone, under the pressure of local politics and conditions, speculating with Treaty as a tool for their political survival, citizens of the Union must cooperate, coordinate and act.
I would propose leading NGOs or political parties create web pages informing (without legal language) citizens and their members on the Treaty, a european civil society assembly could be called (with coordination of all plattforms in Brussels) to take measures of accessing citizen’s organizations. On national level lets take initiatives “speaking on the Treaty events”, organizing local, regional, national groups.
I think thats the only hope to see a democratic EU operating. An Eu in favour of its citizens and not a bureaucratic alienated organization “somewhere there in Brussels, that gives only money and protects big interests”.
We would like to hear your comments
Type rest of the post here
