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A vertex of minus for a lousy result?

Summit conference today and tomorrow for the 25 Heads of State and Government. On the menu, the constitution and the appointment of a new president at the head of the European Commission.

(Archives B2) On entering the Justus Lipsius, the seat of the Council of European Ministers in Brussels, the 25 Heads of State and Government will certainly have a smile on their face. History of letting nothing appear of the dissensions which undermine them and the bruises suffered in the ballot boxes on Sunday. But as soon as the photographers are eclipsed, and the doors closed, the faces will close. The rat race will begin.

On the menu of this summit, two choice pieces: the appointment of a President of the European Commission (see below) and the Constitution. Damned pavement that diplomats have been dissecting for a year already, since the Convention chaired by Giscard d'Estaing finished its work. However, it is time for a truce… quibbling! Except to make themselves more ridiculous, the 25 heads of government have no other choice but to adopt this text, as it stands, and as soon as possible.

Anyway, it's not really revolutionary. The Preamble on which everyone is torn? Of a philosophical pallor to be worth to a candidate for the baccalaureate a mention " lack of ideas ". The only issue in the debate is whether we are referring to the Christian contribution to Europe. And the Greek, Roman, Jewish, Arab and even Marxist (why not?) traditions are all hot air?

The Charter of Fundamental Rights? A real deception! Any citizen of the 25 can already invoke the European Convention on Human Rights, a very well written and much more precise text, before a European court and obtain damages. All rights that the Constitution does not enshrine… European policies? The novelty there is microscopic.

Europe seems to be running out of ideas. Certainly it is a little clearer. But everything that is concrete for the citizen – taxation, social security, etc. – remains subject to the vindictiveness of a Member State's veto. Or little risk of evolution. Even the word Constitution seems overused. The approval of the people, however necessary, will be as limited as possible. Apart from Tony Blair, no government really seems to want to submit this text to a referendum. The danger is indeed real. If only one State misses the ratification stage, this beautiful work will be stillborn...

Nicolas Gros Verheyde
Published in France-Soir, June 2004


The big bargain has begun: I love you, me neither!

Guy, the Belgian Prime Minister (Liberal), Jean-Claude, his Luxembourg counterpart (Christian Democrat), Antonio, the Portuguese Commissioner for Justice (Socialist) or Bertie, the Irish Prime Minister (Conservative) or even Romano (again ), what will be the first name of the next President of the European Commission. We may find out in a few hours... The pot of heads of state and government is boiling. A delicate exercise. We must decide on a suitable candidate who receives everyone's opinion and, moreover, can obtain a majority in the European Parliament.

Juncker, the most credible candidate

They could well also propose at the head of the Commission, a second-class candidate, like Javier Solana, the former secretary general of NATO, as insipid as he is transparent. Among the people's elected representatives, Dany Cohn-Bendit, president of the Greens group, fired the first yesterday. No need to beat around the bush, " there is only one really credible candidate he announces. " it is Jean-Claude Juncker, the most social of the Christian Democrats ". This appointment would be balanced, for him, by a center-left axis in the European Parliament led by a tandem of “ revolutionary ” chastened, Michel Rocard (for the PS) – Geremek (for the liberals).

The only problem with this beautiful construction, the Socialists would rather be tempted by an agreement with their good old enemies of the European People's Party (EPP). The creation by François Bayrou and Francesco Rutelli of a new group of democrats and freedoms will not change anything. The European Parliament would then be chaired alternately by Hans-Gert Pöttering (German CDU) and Terry Wine (English Labour). A very shabby solution that everyone dreaded...

(NGV)

Nicolas Gros Verheyde

Chief editor of the B2 site. Graduated in European law from the University of Paris I Pantheon Sorbonne and listener to the 65th session of the IHEDN (Institut des Hautes Etudes de la Défense Nationale. Journalist since 1989, founded B2 - Bruxelles2 in 2008. EU/NATO correspondent in Brussels for Sud-Ouest (previously West-France and France-Soir).

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