Anniversary of two Noes
José M. de Areilza
May 28, 2006
A year has passed since France and the Netherlands voted “No” to the European Constitution. EU institutions have been able to function, in spite of the rejection of the text and the complexities of enlargement to 25 Member States. But pessimism is still presiding this period of “pause and reflection”, that has just been extended further.
I supported this Constitution and even worked for 6 months at the European Convention, but I totally disagree with those who think that the only intelligent and democratic option in the referenda was to vote “Yes”.
Now I fear that if we invest too much political capital into resurrecting the constitutional text, we will not have energy left to tackle serious European problems, like defence, immigration, governance or economic reform.
There are many important decisions that can be taken and should be taken in Brussels without the Constitution. Perhaps Jose Manuel Durao Barroso has understood this and that is why he is moving in the direction of “policies first”, the classical Community way of gaining legitimacy by results. In the long term debates about democratic process and European identity are also essential, but need not be connected with this particular constitutional text.
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(…)”but I totally disagree with those who think that the only intelligent and democratic option in the referenda was to vote “Yes”. “(…)
That was a tough position/opinion to support at the time… it really seemed to me that the whole EU ‘apparatus’ was too worried about their own status, to listen what the EU people really cared about and felt about the proposed text at the time…
Not to mention the situation in Spain… where it was really difficult to get a dissent opinion voiced in any of our so-called ‘free media’…
Best, TFS
Comment by TFS — May 29, 2006 @ 9:41 am