Finnish Parliament approves European Union draft constitution

Government and opposition ranks split in Friday's vote

print this

Parliament gave its approval on Tuesday to the draft constitution for the European Union, and passed a Finnish law on its implementation. The move gives the President the authority to ratify the treaty on Finland's behalf.
     
The vote in Parliament was 125-39, with four abstentions, while 31 MPs were absent. The losing proposal, to reject the document, was made by Left Alliance MP Esko-Juhani Tennilä.
      The measure required a two-thirds majority.
      The ranks of the largest parties were split in the vote. On the government side, four Centre Party MPs and three Social Democrats voted against the draft constitution, and three Centrists and one Social Democrat abstained.
     
On the opposition side, seven votes against the EU constitution came from MPs of the staunchly pro-EU National Coalition Party. The Greens were behind the constitution, except for one MP, Erkki Pulliainen.
      Solidly opposed to the treaty were the Christian Democrats and the True Finns. Two Left Alliance MPs, Anne Huotari and Suvi-Anne Siimes, broke ranks with their party group and voted in favour of the measure.
      The majority supporting ratification was slightly bigger than last spring, when Parliament voted on a government report on the matter. At that time, 104 Parliamentarians supported rapid ratification, while 24 were opposed, 11 abstained, and no fewer than 60 were absent.
     
Parliament also passed two statements on Friday. In one of them, the government was urged to issue a report immediately after the upcoming Parliamentary elections, on what measures Finland needs to take with respect to the security guarantees contained in the drat constitution. In addition, the Prime Minister is urged to submit written reports, and not just oral accounts, on EU summits to Parliament.


Previously in HS International Edition:
  French PM hopes EU will wrap up constitution in October (6.6.2006)
  President Halonen: EU constitution being used as tool of domestic politics (26.5.2006)
  Majority in Finnish Parliament back EU constitution (15.5.2006)
  WidesprePrime Minister Vanhanen: EU constitution ratification proceeds in Finland (10.5.2006)
  Halonen downplays need for Finnish ratification of EU constitution (9.5.2006)
  Speaker Lipponen to join group examining fate of EU Constitution (8.9.2003)
  PM Vanhanen: EU summit to look for ways to proceed with constitution (15.6.2006)

Helsingin Sanomat