Thursday

28th Mar 2024

Father of EU constitution issues referendum warning

The architect of the rejected European constitution, Valery Giscard d'Estaing, has criticized ideas by Dutch politicians to hold a referendum on the EU's Reform Treaty.

The former chairman of the European Convention - the body of over a hundred politicians which drafted the old EU constitution - said in Brussels on Monday evening (17 September) that he believes a referendum would not be the right way for the Netherlands to ratify the new-look reform treaty.

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

  • Mr Giscard believes referendums are often dominated by issues other than the actual polling question (Photo: EUobserver)

Asked about the ongoing Dutch debate on whether to hold a referendum, he told EUobserver that "this is not an appropriate instrument."

Mr Giscard argued that referendum campaigns are often dominated by other issues than the question at stake. "Something will come up in the course of the debate. People will vote on that other issue instead of on the actual [referendum] question," he said.

The ex-president of France was speaking after a debate organized by think-tank Notre Europe, during which he also slammed the Dutch for their attitude on EU symbols in the treaty.

The Hague successfully lobbied for symbols such as the 12-star European flag – included in the original constitution – to be scrapped from the new treaty text.

"This text abandons the symbols of the EU – the flag, the hymn and the motto…. Who demanded this? It was not the countries that ratified the [constitution]. It was not France. It is very interesting who demanded this," Mr Giscard said.

The father of the EU constitution said he deplores many of the changes to his project that have made the eventual reform treaty text much more low-profile – such as the degrading of the notion of "European citizenship" in the text.

"It is very important to speak about European citizenship," he stated. "Where is considered opinion here?" he asked criticizing the moves to undermine the idea.

Biggest race in majority voting

Meanwhile Italian politician Giuliano Amato, one of Mr Giscard's former deputies in the EU constitution drafting process, also voiced unhappiness with aspects of the reform treaty in Monday's debate.

He said the "real constitutional asset" of the original constitution had been the inclusion of the EU's Charter of Fundamental rights, a citizens rights catalogue. But in the reform treaty, the UK secured an opt-out from the charter, which according to Mr Amato "leads to a clear conclusion."

"Anybody saying this treaty is a constitution just wants [UK prime minister] Gordon Brown to lose the next elections," he said referring to UK opposition claims that the reform treaty is essentially the same as the constitution.

But Jens-Peter Bonde, a veteran Danish member of the European Parliament, highlighted the similarities between the two documents. "The only difference is the presentation – it's the same content," he stated. "The legal obligations are the same."

The eurosceptic MEP stressed that nothing is new in the reform treaty in terms of real political substance. As the original constitution, the "so-called reform treaty" removes member states' vetoes in 61 policy areas, he said.

"This is the biggest race in majority voting we ever had," according to Mr Bonde.

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. 'Swiftly dial back' interest rates, ECB told
  2. Moscow's terror attack, security and Gaza
  3. Why UK-EU defence and security deal may be difficult
  4. EU unveils plan to create a European cross-border degree
  5. How migrants risk becoming drug addicts along Balkan route
  6. 2024: A Space Odyssey — why the galaxy needs regulating
  7. Syrian mayor in Germany speaks out against AfD
  8. Asian workers pay price for EU ship recycling

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