E-MAIL THIS LINK
To: 

European Constitution Summit Collapses
The European summit to forge a constitution for a united, post-Cold War Europe collapsed Saturday after leaders failed to agree on sharing power within an expanded European Union. The deal-breaker was a proposal to abandon a voting system accepted in 2000 that gave Spain and incoming EU member Poland almost as much voting power as Germany, which has a population equal to those two countries combined. European leaders sought to minimize the damage,
How do you minimize the damage of a collapse?
saying talks would resume next year, but the debacle leaves the EU in turmoil as it prepares for one of the greatest challenges in it 46-year history - accepting new members from the former Communist east. The failure scuttles, for the time being, the EU’s plan for a new president, foreign minister and a greater profile on the global stage to rival that of the United States.
Rival? Only in French wet dreams.
British Prime Minister Tony Blair appealed for all to respect the ``essential unity of Europe.’’ Blair insisted the summit failure would not delay the expansion in which Poland and nine smaller nations will join the bloc on May 1, expanding it from 15 to 25 members. Warning that an expanded EU could force Europe to ``march to the slowest step,’’ Chirac suggested a ``pioneer group’’ of nations could move forward alone with closer cooperation on areas such as the economy, justice and defense. ``It will be the motor. It will set the example, allow Europe to go faster, better,’’ Chirac told a news conference.
"We might even get Europe into second gear!"
Others were dubious about such a ``two-speed Europe.’’
"Second gear? We don’t have a second gear! This is a Fiat, you idiot!"
``I hope that no country will take measures to try to divide Europe,’’ Spanish Prime Minister Jose Maria Aznar said.
Too late!
The leaders managed some successes on the first day of summit Friday - boosting the EU’s military planning capability independent of NATO and setting up a $75 billion investment plan for public works projects to lift economic recovery.
Yep, them planners will draw up great plans, won’t they?
Without agreement, the voting system adopted three years ago at a summit in the French Riviera resort of Nice will take effect when Poland, Hungary, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Slovenia, Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, Cyprus and Malta join the EU in May. However, leaders said a constitution will eventually be needed to manage the EU’s affairs efficiently when it has so many members.
They haven’t even tried it yet and they’re going to amend it. How, um, French.
The 464-article draft charter boils down 80,000 pages of accumulated treaties and agreements into one simplified rule book for the bloc, giving it new powers designed to endow it with political weight to match Europe’s economic clout.
Yas, a 464 article constitution is considered "simplified" in Europe.
Posted by: Steve White 2003-12-14
http://www.rantburg.com/poparticle.php?ID=22690