Europees Parlement heeft vertrouwen in concept-Grondwet (en)

EUOBSERVER / BRUSSELS - On the eve of the start of the intergovernmental debate to finalise the draft EU constitution, Klaus Hänsch who will represent the European Parliament in the talks, is confident that the draft Constitution will not be taken apart.

"I am convinced that it is not only necessary but possible to keep the substantial balance of the Constitution Treaty - I really believe that", said the German Socialist MEP, in an interview with the EUobserver.

His reasoning is very pragmatic. There are so many demands for change but so much dissent within and between the different states and groups of states that it will have a paralysing effect.

"The Spanish and the Polish [who have formed an alliance against reopening the voting weights contained in the Nice treaty] ask for changes that have nothing to do with what smaller countries want".

"And what some of the smaller countries want has nothing to do with what other countries want - the more requests for changes that come, the greater the chance will be that the substance will be kept".

Destructive allies

Nevertheless, there will be issues of major debate. These will be around the make-up of the Commission and the tasks of the President of the European Council, believes Mr Hänsch.

On the President issue, the treaty is ambiguous about the duties and responsibilities of the new President - something which worries the Commission (which feels it will be sidelined) and small member states (who feel that the President will come from a large country).

The Commission itself re-opened the debate itself on how it should be composed by suggesting that all member states should have a Commissioner with equal voting rights. This is something currently not foreseen by the draft but greatly supported by small countries.

Mr Hänsch is strongly critical of both the move and proposal.

"By leaving the consensus of the Convention, [the Commission] is making itself an ally of those countries who want to destroy the Constitution".

Such a large Commission, of thirty or more Commissioners, would not be taken seriously, says the German MEP.

"Do you really think that in Berlin, Rome, London and Madrid they will then take seriously what comes from Brussels?" he asks.

Small and large states not divided

And, when it comes down to real politics, the much mooted clash between large and small member states will not happen.

Mr Hänsch cites Ireland as an example. "In the words of the Irish Foreign Minister himself, Ireland follows France on CAP and Spain on structural funds - all countries do this".

"There are no divisions along these lines, but there is a clash of principles".

It is about the difference between wanting a union of states where all states are

equal or a union of citizens where all citizens are equal.

Optimism

The biggest reason for optimism that an EU Constitution will emerge from the IGC which is due to finish at the end of the year, is the uniqueness of the situation.

"For the first time there is a draft for what will have to be decided on the table ... and that means that those governments who want to change it will have to explain".