Friday

29th Mar 2024

Former EU leaders call for 'political leap' in Europe

Several former EU politicians have called for a "leap" on the European political scene to create enough impetus to see through institutional reform in the bloc by 2009.

A joint declaration, published in Florence on Friday (17 November) urges member states to "get back on the path to reform of the European institutions."

Read and decide

Join EUobserver today

Get the EU news that really matters

Instant access to all articles — and 20 years of archives. 14-day free trial.

... or subscribe as a group

Signed, amongst others, by Valery Giscard d'Estaing, the architect of the frozen EU constitution, ex-German foreign minister Joschka Fischer and the former presidents of Italy and Portugal, the text calls for a "political leap by all the parties concerned so that the new process is concluded at the time of the new European parliament in spring 2009."

Going into detail, it says that the whole of the first and second parts of the constitution – dealing with the values and aims of the bloc as well as the fundamental rights of citizens – should be kept and that the contentious parts of the third section – detailing the policies of the EU – should be clarified.

This could be done with an "additional protocol," says the declaration.

"We cannot remain deaf and inward-looking when faced with the necessity of the revival of the European integration process," said current Italian president Giorgio Napolitano, according to French daily Le Monde.

Berlin-Paris axis

Talk about reviving the EU institutional reform process – put off track by the rejection of the European constitution by French and Dutch voters last year - has gone up a notch recently.

This is mainly due to the twin prospect of the German EU presidency in the first half of next year as well as French elections in April – with only a concerted effort by Berlin and Paris thought to be enough to get reform back at the top of the bloc's political agenda.

Additional pressure has also come from the enlargement process as several politicians - including EU commission president Jose Manuel Barroso - have indicated that the EU cannot expand further without internal reform.

Germany has made progress on the constitution – calling for an "ambitious" text - one of the main issues of its six-month stint at the helm of the EU. Now it is waiting to hear what Paris has to offer.

The likely centre-right contender for the French presidential elections, Nicolas Sarkozy, has suggested the constitution be pared down to a mini treaty – but this has sparked hostile reactions from several quarters, including Berlin.

So far, the left has not been so clear. Segolene Royal, recently chosen to be the socialist presidential candidate, has simply indicated that voters need to be won over about the need for reform in Europe.

Angelica Schwall-Dueren, an EU expert for the German social democrats in parliament, told Reuters "We have to hope that the respective [French] candidates don't wed themselves to a position that would make agreement on a constitution difficult in the end."

"I am trying to make clear to our [Socialist] partners that it is important to leave the door open to possible solutions," she added with French socialists continuing to be strongly divided over the EU constitution.

For its part, Germany is planning to have a concrete timetable on the constitution and institutional reform on the table by an EU leaders summit in June - with a view to bringing the reform process to fruition in 2009.

Ukraine slams grain trade restrictions at EU summit

Restrictions on Ukrainian agricultural exports to the EU could translate into military losses in their bid to stop Russia's war, Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky warned EU leaders during their summit in Brussels on Thursday.

Difficult talks ahead on financing new EU defence spending

With the war in Ukraine showing no signs of ending any time soon, EU leaders will meet in Brussels on Thursday and Friday (21 and 22 March) to discuss how to boost the defence capabilities of Ukraine and of the bloc itself.

Opinion

Why UK-EU defence and security deal may be difficult

Rather than assuming a pro-European Labour government in London will automatically open doors in Brussels, the Labour party needs to consider what it may be able to offer to incentivise EU leaders to factor the UK into their defence thinking.

Latest News

  1. Kenyan traders react angrily to proposed EU clothes ban
  2. Lawyer suing Frontex takes aim at 'antagonistic' judges
  3. Orban's Fidesz faces low-polling jitters ahead of EU election
  4. German bank freezes account of Jewish peace group
  5. EU Modernisation Fund: an open door for fossil gas in Romania
  6. 'Swiftly dial back' interest rates, ECB told
  7. Moscow's terror attack, security and Gaza
  8. Why UK-EU defence and security deal may be difficult

Stakeholders' Highlights

  1. Nordic Council of MinistersJoin the Nordic Food Systems Takeover at COP28
  2. Nordic Council of MinistersHow women and men are affected differently by climate policy
  3. Nordic Council of MinistersArtist Jessie Kleemann at Nordic pavilion during UN climate summit COP28
  4. Nordic Council of MinistersCOP28: Gathering Nordic and global experts to put food and health on the agenda
  5. Friedrich Naumann FoundationPoems of Liberty – Call for Submission “Human Rights in Inhume War”: 250€ honorary fee for selected poems
  6. World BankWorld Bank report: How to create a future where the rewards of technology benefit all levels of society?

Stakeholders' Highlights

  1. Georgia Ministry of Foreign AffairsThis autumn Europalia arts festival is all about GEORGIA!
  2. UNOPSFostering health system resilience in fragile and conflict-affected countries
  3. European Citizen's InitiativeThe European Commission launches the ‘ImagineEU’ competition for secondary school students in the EU.
  4. Nordic Council of MinistersThe Nordic Region is stepping up its efforts to reduce food waste
  5. UNOPSUNOPS begins works under EU-funded project to repair schools in Ukraine
  6. Georgia Ministry of Foreign AffairsGeorgia effectively prevents sanctions evasion against Russia – confirm EU, UK, USA

Join EUobserver

EU news that matters

Join us