Berlin considers vote on EU constitution

Germany may join France and Britain to hold a politically hazardous vote on the EU constitution.

Berlin’s ruling centre-left party is to revive controversial two-year old legislation allowing national referendums this autumn.

And, in a bid to smooth opposition to the constitutional reform, the troubled German government is linking the issue to a possible poll on a new EU treaty.

Germany’s constitution currently rules out referendums at the national level – a post-WW2 ‘safeguard’ against the perils of populism and the country’s Nazi past.

“We must be able to put crucial matters such as the EU constitution to the voters. It's time for us to adjust the law to that end,” said a senior government figure.

Previous attempts in 2002 to lift the ban were scuppered by centre-right opposition parties – some of which now back a vote on the EU constitution.

“If it is possible to complete this bill before autumn, a referendum on this European question would still be possible,” said a government spokesman.

German chancellor Gerhard Schroeder will be hoping that the move could be popular with voters currently disillusioned with his government.

July opinion polling showed that 81 per cent of Germans favour holding an EU vote – a finding that coupled with opposition support for a referendum could see the path of legislation smoothed ahead of a scheduled parliamentary ratification at the end of this year.

A German vote would be a political gamble for Schoeder and raise the stakes for an EU constitution that is rapidly becoming something of a political lottery linked to the fortunes of unpopular national governments.

The new constitution – set to be signed in Rome this October 29 – must be ratified by all the EU’s 25 capitals.

Greece, Sweden, Finland, Cyprus, Malta, Estonia, Lithuania and Hungary are set to take the relatively safe parliamentary route.

But pressure is building on Stockholm with elements of the ruling centre-left party calling for a Swedish EU vote.

Latvia, Austria, the Czech Republic, Slovakia and Slovenia are still to decide on the question of a referendum.

The first date already set for a vote on the EU constitution is Portugal in January 2005. France, Poland and the UK are all facing autumn 2005 polls.

Spain, Denmark, Luxembourg, Ireland, the Netherlands, Belgium and Italy are yet to set an electoral rendez-vous.

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