By Bruno Waterfield - 13th January 2006
The French political class is publicly floating schemes to bypass last year’s EU constitution referendum rejection ahead of presidential elections next year.
French interior minister, and presidential hopeful Nicholas Sarkozy has joined his country leader Jacques Chirac to suggest ways of getting round the 2005 setback.
In a new year speech on Thursday, Sarkozy set out a scheme to ‘cherry pick’ from the EU constitution text without facing the risk of another democratic setback.
His idea – which has strong backing in the French political establishment – is to utilise ‘Part I’ of the draft constitutional text, which focuses on institutional issues.
Sarkozy’s idea has the attraction of ratification in the French parliament, bypassing turbulent voters and the risk of another EU constitutional crisis.
“Departing from the initial text of the European constitution, we should establish a shorter text, based on the first part of the treaty and with the only aim to organise the functioning of the EU 25,” he said.
“I propose that this tight and consensual text could then be subject to parliamentary approval at the appropriate moment.”
The French establishment was rocked by the 2005 constitution rejection after all mainstream political parties backed a 'oui' vote.
In the aftermath of the referendum France has lost prestige on the EU stage and Paris is eager to regain European legitimacy.
Sarkozy’s scheme is premised on the argument that French voters objected to ‘Part III’ of the constitution, setting out EU policy.
Writing in the current issue of European View, a centre-right political journal, Sarkozy gives his interpretation of the French ‘non’ vote.
“Nobody interpreted the referendum results of May 29 as a rejection of Europe,” he writes.
“These votes rejected the way Europe is run today. The proof is that debates concerning the constitution focus on ‘part III’.”
French political leaders are banking on European consensus that the EU needs key institutional changes proposed in the constitutional treaty.
Proposals for an European ‘foreign minister’, a smaller European commission and simplified voting system at councils of ministers enjoy uncontroversial support in most capitals.
Sarkozy hopes that by dropping ‘part III’ he can take the sting out debate by removing sections enshrining free market and social policy into EU law.
A new text could be presented as an organisational rather than constitutional document allowing Paris and others to dispense with referendums.
Such a move might also allow a way around the Dutch ‘nee’ vote last June and give London an excuse not to hold a referendum in the UK.
But Sarkozy’s manoeuvres may not satisfy anti-constitution campaigners or satisfy voters used to getting a say on EU treaties.
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