Grand Committee members favour Finnish ratification of EU constitution

Move unlikely before start of Finnish EU Presidency

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Most of the members of the Grand Committee of the Finnish Parliament appear willing to support Finnish ratification of the proposed constitution for the European Union.
      Helsingin Sanomat surveyed the members of the Grand Committee on Thursday for their views on the issue.
      The committee's chairman, Jari Vilén (Nat. Coalition) said on Thursday that he expected that the committee would have to vote on a proposal for the ratification.
      At least two members, Heidi Hautala (Green) and Outi Ojala (Left Alliance) oppose ratification in Parliament, and would prefer a referendum on the issue.
     
On Tuesday, the Social Democrats, urged on by Speaker of Parliament Paavo Lipponen, agreed to support the measure, if the government makes a proposal on it. The SDP wants to leave the scheduling of the decision up to the government.
      Prime Minister Matti Vanhanen has persuaded parliamentarians of his Centre Party to back the treaty, and the parliamentary group of the opposition National Coalition Party decided on Thursday to unanimously support the proposal.
      The Green parliamentary group, on the other hand, called for an advisory referendum on the matter. The Swedish People's Party is seen as a supporter of the measure. The Left Alliance, the Christian Democrats, and the True Finns oppose the agreement.
     
Prime Minister Vanhanen said in early February that the government would be ready to consider making a proposal for the ratification "later in the spring".
      Parliament is scheduled to debate the government's report on the matter in mid-May, and it is very unlikely that there would be any ratification before the Finnish turn at the EU Presidency begins in July.
     
The EU reached agreement on a constitution in the summer of 2004. The constitution was to have replaced basic EU treaties in November this year. However, the process was put on hold last summer when voters in The Netherlands and France rejected the treaty in referendums held in their countries.
      The treaty has been ratified by 11 member states. 


Previously in HS International Edition:
  Finnish Parliament takes positive view of EU constitution treaty (30.11.2005)

Helsingin Sanomat