Germany to ratify European Constitution
The European Union constitution was set to clear its final legislative hurdle in Germany today as the upper house of parliament votes on the charter, two days before French voters have their say in a referendum.
The constitution enjoys broad political support in Germany and was expected easily to obtain the necessary two-thirds majority in the upper house, which represents the country’s 16 states and is controlled by the conservative opposition.
On May 12, the lower house of parliament backed the charter by a margin of 569 to 23, with two abstentions. Following approval by the upper house, only President Horst Koehler’s signature is required to formally complete ratification.
“This weekend, we are looking full of hope toward France,” upper house president Matthias Platzeck told today’s session – which was addressed by former French President Valery Giscard d’Estaing, who led the 17-month process of drafting the treaty.
“The day after tomorrow, the French will – I hope with all my heart – ratify the constitution by means of a referendum,” d’Estaing said ahead of the vote.
“The double ratification in Germany and France would mark a historic passage for the future of the constitution and for Europe,” he added.
However, polls ahead of the French referendum on Sunday and a vote next Wednesday in the Netherlands have shown leads for the charter’s opponents in both countries. The constitution must be approved by all 25 EU countries to take effect.
“European integration transformed this continent after the last war,” Giscard d’Estaing said.
“This constitution … has as its sole objective to allow Europe to function better in the coming decades.”
The constitution provides for a foreign minister and a president to give the EU greater clout on the international stage, and it streamlines decision-making in the bloc while simplifying voting rules.
Still, opponents in France have voiced fears ranging from loss of sovereignty to a flood of cheaper labour.
Germany is not holding a referendum on the charter, as the nation’s constitution does not provide for holding referendums. Schroeder has argued the parliamentary votes will provide sufficient “legitimisation” for the document in Germany.
Lithuania, Hungary, Slovenia, Italy, Greece, Austria, Slovakia and Spain already have ratified the constitution by parliamentary vote or referendum.
