By Bruno Waterfield - 29th March 2006
The EU constitution is a “holy text”, the leader of the European parliament’s centre right Hans-Gert Poettering told the Pope on Thursday.
The German MEP used an audience with Pope Benedict XVI to assert the European People’s Party’s Christian and conservative credentials.
He told the Catholic pontiff that the spirit of the EU constitution would live on even if the text could not be resurrected after French and Dutch referendum rejections.
“[We] fought for a reference to God in the European constitution. Although we were not successful, we are proud of having done so. The final text does embody essential Christian values,” said Poettering.
“Whatever the outcome, the EPP group as an advocate of Judaeo-Christian values, is determined about the spiritual and moral dimension of the European project. Encouragement by your holiness for this aim is vitally important.”
Poettering argues that in an era shaped by the fear of a clash between the west and Islam, religious politicians play a key role.
“Through initiatives with states of the Organisation of the Islamic Conference, the group aims for new relationships, for which Christians and Muslims can be privileged partners as believers,” he said.
“We are joined by a guest from Arabia, a sign of the pioneering work which Muslim and Christian Democrats are doing for a God-centred, more ethical world order.”
“We do not believe in the ‘clash of civilisations’, we believe in cooperation, understanding and partnership, if possible friendship, between cultures and religions.”
But by using "privileged partnership" wording Poettering hinted at continuing opposition on Europe's right to Turkey's EU membership.
The EPP celebrates its 30th birthday on Thursday with its 17th congress in Rome.
EPP president Wilfried Martens sang the praises of Europe’s centre-right bloc – the European parliament’s biggest.
“The EPP boasts 68 Christian democrat, reform and conservative member parties from 35 European countries and is the most influential political party in all major European institutions,” he said.
Congress speakers include European commission president José Manuel Barroso and Italian prime minister Silvio Berlusconi.
German chancellor Angela Merkel and French interior minister Nicolas Sarkozy are also set to show their faces.
Top of the political agenda will the fate of the EU constitution, Merkel is expected to re-launch the institutional blueprint in a slimmed down form in early 2007.
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