Finland to proceed with EU constitution ratification process

Parliament to debate treaty in autumn, although content may change

print this

The Finnish Parliament is to debate the proposed constitution for the European Union in the autumn; the Finnish ratification process is to continue even though the rejection of the document in the recent referendums in France and The Netherlands means that the treaty is unlikely to take effect in its current form.
      Prime Minister Matti Vanhanen (Centre) said that the timetable would be altered only if EU leaders decide together to shelve the constitution after the French and Dutch votes.
      Speaking in Parliament on Thursday, Vanhanen said that Finland will have nothing new to say on the matter before the EU summit this month, and that he hopes that no other country would pull the rug out from under the rest.
      According to Vanhanen, several years of hard work should not be wiped out by two referendums. He added that much could still be salvaged.
     
The draft constitution has been criticised especially within the political left, where it is feared that it could open public services to market competition.
      Social Democratic MP Kimmo Kiljunen, who took part in the drafting of the proposed constitution, suggested on Thursday that the treaty be split in two parts. He said that the controversial trade policy clauses could be detached, and the EU member states could agree to the early part, which focuses exclusively on citizens’ fundamental rights and EU reforms.
      Prime Minister Vanhanen also said on Thursday that a more narrow set of reforms could get broader support, but he did not want to speculate on which parts should be pruned away.
      Vanhanen noted that the results of the French and Dutch referendums were especially disappointing for him, as he had participated in the work of the Convention that drafted the proposed constitution.
      "The new treaty was an attempt to respond to criticism of the EU’s remoteness from the citizens and its lack of openness. For that reason, it is paradoxical that this better treaty is rejected in favour of the old ones."
     
President Tarja Halonen refused to declare the EU constitution dead.
      At a press conference on Thursday, she said that the matter is now in the hands of Parliament. She also said that a new version of the agreement might come later.
      Outspoken Eurosceptic, opposition True Finns’ MP Timo Soini said during parliamentary Question Time on Thursday that a referendum should be held in Finland.
      Opposition National Coalition Party MP Ben Zyskowicz questioned the logic of "flogging a dead horse" by bringing before Parliament a treaty that may never take effect.
      Foreign Minister Erkki Tuomioja (SDP) said that it would "not be consistent" to hold a referendum on a treaty that has been dismissed as dead.
      He also said that some of the constitutional reforms, such as EU defence cooperation, have been approved regardless of the fate of the treaty as a whole.
      Tuomioja added that overall support for the constitution should be gauged in the entire EU before considering making any changes to it.
      "We must proceed very cautiously, lest we give the impression that this European project is an elite enterprise where the views of the people are trampled on if the people happen to have the wrong opinions", he said.


Previously in HS International Edition:
  President Halonen: EU constitution ratification in hands of Finnish Parliament (2.6.2005)
  PM Vanhanen warns EU leaders against dreaming up mini-solutions to constitution issue (1.6.2005)
  Prime Minister Vanhanen downplays horror scenarios after French vote (31.5.2005)
  Foreign Minister Tuomioja regrets result of French EU referendum (30.5.2005)

Helsingin Sanomat