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Friends of the constitution

Another two countries are determined to support the constitution. This means that only six countries, including the Czech Republic, will remain. These countries will have to decide whether they want to continue cooperating with the core of Europe or whether they want to again retreat from the European integration process, Posselt says.

Bernd Posselt, leader of the Sedeten German Society and an MEP for Bavaria has praised the Chancellor, Angela Merkel for demanding the Czech Republic to sign up to the European Constitution. Posselt may be supporting the initiative, since it favours restitution for properties seized after the War by the restored Czech Republic, desirous to remove irredentist elements from its polity, and abetted by the barbaric Red Army.

Posselt is merely echoing the ‘friends of the constitution’ who met under the auspices of Luxembourg and Spain over the weekend. The noises coming out of this meeting are not good for Europhiles in New Labour. Despite some willingness to show flexibility on some of the phrases, the ‘friends of the constitution’ wish to use the text as a base and add more areas of competence for integration. The mini-treaty favoured by the British, avoiding the need for a referendum, looks like a long shot. If Segolene Royal wins the French Presidential election and upholds her manifesto promise of another referendum, the tabloids will be howling for blood.

Mr Hoon suggested that moves to streamline decision-making in an enlarged EU could be agreed by the government without being ratified directly by voters.

A decision on a vote would be taken once the outcome of negotiations was clearer "bearing in mind that no previous government has held a referendum on the detailed processes that have been involved in treaty change, he said

Europhiles such as Hoon wish to short circuit a referendum, since they would lose their prize. This may form the final frontispiece of Blair’s legacy, since the meeting on this occurs during the dying days of his premiership. Any warmed up document, with the title Constitution dropped to hide the fundamental and radical nature of the text, needs to be opposed as quickly as possible. New Labour, in this as in all other enterprises, is not a friend of the Union or the English. As for Cameron he may have tried to avoid Europe, but it has returned to force the issue upon him.

4 comments to Friends of the constitution

  • andrew duffin

    “Another two countries are determined to support the constitution.”

    I think not.

    What it should say is “the political elites of two more countries are determined to support the constitution”

    Different thing entirely.

  • Paul Marks

    The constitutional court in Germany has ruled that it will not approve the E.U. constitution till it has been ratified by the other E.U. nations – however the Chancellor has not allowed this to deter her from campaigning for other nations governments to ratify the E.U. constitution.

    Of course many aspect of the E.U. contitution are already being put into practice by various insitutions of the Europan Union (even though it has not been ratified).

    This is in line with normal E.U. practice.

    As for Mr Cameron his level of knowledge is shown by the claim (from some of his supporters) that he would “pull Britain out of the Social Chapter”, of course the “Social Chapter” of the Maatricht (or rather the powers covered by it) was incorporated into the treaty of Amsterdam.

    There can be no “opt out” – the United Kingdom would have to repudiate the treaty (not something Mr Cameron is going to do).

    It is rather the claim that Mr Cameron would “repeal the Human Rights Act” – a pointless gesture whilst the United Kingdom remained under the Human Rights Convention (enforced by a different court to the E.U. one – but still legally binding).

  • Cliff

    ” Another two countries are determined to support the constitution. This means that only six countries, including the Czech Republic, will remain. These countries will have to decide whether they want to continue cooperating with the core of Europe or whether they want to again retreat from the European integration process, Posselt says.

    Bernd Posselt, leader of the Sedeten German Society”

    Um, maybe using the word Sudeten could help us with putting that threat into context. Is Mr. Posselt recommending a reprise of a minor event about 70 years ago?

  • Omri

    If ever a group of people deserved an invitation to STFU, it’s the Sudetenlanders… to think they’d have the nerve to speak nowadays is just nauseating.