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| Europe | |
| European Constitution Summit Collapses | |
| 2003-12-14 | |
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,
Rival? Only in French 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 |
| #10 Actually, a 2 speed Europe isn't a bad idea: The original core of the EC was six countries, wasn't it, which grew out of the Benelux treaty? For once, Chiraq is talking about leading by actually getting out in front and setting an example. Besides, political union with Germany would give the future President of the union more clout to get bennies for the aging French populace. If he can't get the whole loaf now, he'll settle for two or three slices, since that'll be more than the one slice he has now. Not great progress, but "progress" nevertheless. |
| Posted by: Ptah 2003-12-14 9:06:47 PM |
| #9 "We have institutions that work, we have pressed ahead with enlargement which will take place on May 1" of course I am sure they picked that day purely by accident. Go commies! |
| Posted by: flash91 2003-12-14 1:01:40 PM |
| #8 Yeah, nobody saw THIS coming. HAHAHAH!! Now pull every last troop and their dependents out of germany and let them rot. |
| Posted by: 4thInfVet 2003-12-14 12:55:43 PM |
| #7 SH - remember, it's a French transmission. That may be 2nd REVERSE gear... |
| Posted by: Old Patriot 2003-12-14 12:54:57 PM |
| #6 80,000 pages! Holy Schitkis! That's bigger than a Grainger catalogue. Just think of setting up one of those with cross references, keyword search, etc etc. on a database. |
| Posted by: Alaska Paul 2003-12-14 12:54:54 PM |
| #5 I have a bet on the membership of the vaguard group to operate in 2nd gear. |
| Posted by: Super Hose 2003-12-14 12:44:57 PM |
| #4 Silly me. That explains it. |
| Posted by: Fred 2003-12-14 8:12:22 AM |
| #3 How do you minimize the damage of a collapse? "We have institutions that work, we have pressed ahead with enlargement which will take place on May 1," Chirac told a news conference. "There is no drama or crisis with a capital 'C'." So you see, it was a collapse, but not a Collapse. |
| Posted by: Rafael 2003-12-14 7:33:08 AM |
| #2 The full and complete declaration of Iraqi WMD. In duplicate. |
| Posted by: Brian 2003-12-14 3:10:55 AM |
| #1 "boils down 80,000 pages"? What the heck did they start with? |
| Posted by: RonB 2003-12-14 2:32:11 AM |