Duitse ministers verdedigen Verdrag van Lissabon (en)
Two senior ministers from the German government on Tuesday (10 February) defended the EU's Lisbon Treaty at a court hearing on whether the document is unconstitutional
Foreign minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier rejected claims that the treaty is anti-democratic and risks undermining the power of national parliaments.
"The Treaty of Lisbon expressly strengthens the democratic fundamentals of the European Union," said Mr Steinmeier and added that "National parliaments would in the future be completely involved in the European law-making process."
Wolfgang Schaeuble, interior minister, said: "The treaty does not encroach upon Germany's sovereignty."
He argued, according to Germany's Focus Magazine that "EU member states will remain 'masters of the treaties', even after the Reform Treaty goes into force."
The two-day hearing before Germany's highest court is crucial to the fate of the Lisbon Treaty across the EU as all member states need to approve the text for it to go into place.
The court is looking into a complaint by German conservative MP Peter Gauweiler and several left wing deputies that the treaty undermines Germany's constitution.
Mr Gauweiler says that a decision taken by the country's parliament - Bundestag - can subsequently be overturned at EU level if the European Commission decides to propose a law on a similar issue.
An article in the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung notes that some of the judges at today's hearing consider this process to be the most important they have ever worked on.
It says that the process is about whether Germany will lose its statehood under the Lisbon Treaty and whether a European Union under the Lisbon Treaty is something that is compatible with Germany's constitution.
The court's judgement is expected in two to three months and will be keenly awaited around Europe.
Aside from Germany, Ireland, Poland and the Czech Republic have not signed off the treaty.
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