Prime Minister Matti Vanhanen (Centre) promised on Tuesday to call a joint meeting of government and opposition parties on the possible arrangement of a referendum on the planned constitution for the European Union.
At a debate of the leaders of Finland’s political parties in Helsinki’s Sanoma House on Tuesday, Vanhanen said that such a meeting would be arranged during the summer or autumn, once the EU countries have reached agreement on the content of a new constitution. The EU leaders will try to come to an agreement on the constitution at a summit in Brussels just over a week from now.
"If the basic character of the EU does not change, no referendum will be needed", said Vanhanen at the debate sponsored by Helsingin Sanomat and the television network Nelonen
The new chairman of the opposition National Coalition Party, Jyrki Katainen, said that a referendum would not be necessary if the final draft is similar to the present one. "It will be enough if Parliament makes the decision", said Katainen.
Left Alliance chairwoman Suvi-Anne Siimes said that she would welcome government-led discussions on a referendum. She noted that the political cultures of the different member states need to be taken into account. In her view, there is a tendency in Central Europe and Britain to "stretch" the interpretation of laws, whereas in the Nordic Countries there is a more strict adherence to the letter.
"It is from this angle that the government should assess whether or not the EU would change in character." Timo Soini of the populist True Finns party said that it is quite clear that the new constitution would change the character of the EU.
