By Bruno Waterfield - 20th July 2004
Protest votes and disillusionment with sitting national governments must not be allowed to “infiltrate” referendums on an EU constitution, Romano Prodi has insisted.
The European Commission president told MEPs of Brussels concern that public disenchantment with incumbent governments across Europe could hit ratification of an EU constitution.
Referendum announcements in France and the UK have raised the spectre of Europe’s constitution being held hostage by protest votes against domestically unpopular leaders such as Jacques Chirac and Tony Blair.
“We have to guarantee that the referendums and the national parliamentary votes are not just a reflection of the domestic political situation in each country,” said Prodi.
“We have to ensure that we don’t see national domestic issues infiltrating this debate because the great step forward that this represents could be compromised by that.”
Rejection fears
Prodi, who is set for return to national politics at the head of a centre-left coalition in Italy this November, is pleading for debate to focus on Europe – not unpopular national administrations.
“[Campaigns] should instead give a conscious and well thought position on what is the reality of the EU,” he told the European Parliament.
“The real issue is Europe and rejecting the constitutional treaty is what the democratic process fears most.”
The EU executive chief, and Italian Socialist, has been stung by left-wing critics who claim that the constitution is pro-free market, pro-globalisation and a setback for ‘social Europe’.
French Socialists begin a debate this August over whether to oppose Chirac in a constitution referendum – a move that would almost certainly lead to a ‘no’ vote.
'Provoked'
Powerful French left-wingers are arguing that the current text gives too much free market clout to Europe’s bosses and too little for Europe’s workers.
Speaking in the wings of the Strasbourg parliament on Tuesday, European trade union chief John Monks told MEPs that he was backing the constitution – but under sufferance.
“Despite provocations the European Trade Union Congress will be campaigning for the constitution,” he told a reception.
“If Europe becomes a business Europe instead of a people’s Europe… then Europe will lose popular support. [The EU] must show that Europe is populist not elitist, it must count for everybody.”
Prodi rejects left-wing arguments and points to constitution clauses enshrining full employment and a new commercial policy protecting public sector services as evidence ‘social Europe' is alive and well.
More to be done
“I would respond to a criticism that has been levelled for sometime now, that the constitution represents a step backwards for ‘social Europe’ – that is not the case,” he said.
“Globally you have to say that the constitution is more ambitious, more coherent and complete than the treaties we currently have – including the area of social policy.”
But the Brussels chief acknowledges that ahead of key votes more must be done to bring the social benefits of an EU constitution home to ordinary Europeans.
“We have to pay full attention to developing a ‘social Europe’ further because that is what our citizens are particularly interested in,” he said.
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