Movements concerned with Giscard's draft treaty
By Lisbeth Kirk
The Union of European Federalists (UEF) Secretary general, Bruno Bossiere and Hans Lindqvist, Co-ordinator of The European Alliance of EU-critical Movements (TEAM) give their reactions to the draft constitutional treaty presented on Monday in the European Convention.
A federalist position
The Union of European Federalists (UEF) Secretary general, Bruno Bossiere, said the EUobserver the draft constitutional treaty was a step forward as it would simplify the treaties, but that the starting point of Mr Giscard is still wrong.
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"We are dealing with a Union of European States and not a Union of European citizens. Still the focus is on the Council and the election of a Council president, while the European Parliament, which is elected directly by the citizens ought to be the centre of power," he said to the EUobserver.
Mr Bossiere said the idea of a Congress of the Peoples of Europe, presented in the draft was "not acceptable". The Convention has been tasked to simplify the legislation while this proposed Congress would only complicate the European decision process. The federalist had also been looking into the draft with some hope to find a reference to the region's role in the future Europe, but this was not included in the draft presented today in the European Convention in Brussels.
In addition the federalists are not happy with the exit clause presented in the draft article 46. This is for sure something that will stir further debate, Mr Bossiere told the EUobserver. "Does it mean that a country can leave and come back several times," he asked.
An EU-critical perspective
For years supporters of the European Community, the European Union and the Monetary Union have claimed that these bodies were not building blocks for what would in effect become a European State. However, the proposal just presented by the president of the European Convention, Valéry Giscard d'Estaing, drafted by its ruling Praesidium, clearly shows that these earlier claims were false.
"An EU Superstate is in the making, planned in a top-down manner by Mr Giscard's Convention. It is a stab in the back for democracy. This will lead to a deeper legitimacy crisis for the EU", says Hans Lindqvist, Sweden, Co-ordinator of The European Alliance of EU-critical Movements (TEAM).
The names now being suggested for a European Union State, like the "United Europe" and "United States of Europe", with its own legal personality, an appointed President and a Single Currency, mean that this constitutional entity is envisaged as operating as a single actor on the world stage.
The proposed European Union State will not be a co-operation of sovereign legal equals, but will be under the leadership of the Big States, especially Germany and France, as pointed towards in the Treaty of Nice. Giscard's proposal for a European Union State will therefore undermine the democracy of the EU's Member States, especially the smaller ones.
Less democracy
"This Convention was set up to deal with the lack of democracy within the EU. Instead, Giscard's proposed solution, if put into effect, will make things worse. It will mean further EU-centralisation, less democracy at national level and less democracy in the EU as a whole. There is the usual talk about citizen participation and subsidiarity, but no provision for it in Giscard's draft Union State Constitution", added Anthony Coughlan, member of TEAM's Board at a meeting in Brussels.