The positions to be adopted by the 25 in the negotiations that will lead to the approval of the new European constitutional Treaty are gradually taking shape. The main bone of contention is Giscard d’Estaing’s draft Constitution adopted by consensus at the end of the 18 months work of the Convention he chaired. The European Commission has limited itself to proposing amendments in four points, and backs the choice of a permanent President of the European Council which it strongly opposed in recent months. Italy: the position of the Government, who holds the revolving presidency of the EU and will chair the IGC, is well known: “maintenance of the main lines of the draft Constitution defined by the Convention, avoiding compromises that would water it down”; and proposal to insert in the Preamble an explicit reference to the Christian roots of Europe (position shared for the time being only by Poland, Portugal and Ireland). Germany: she opposes the increase in the number of Commissioners with voting rights and is sceptical about the inclusion of any reference to Christian roots. France: the main supporter of Giscard’s project. Her opposition to any explicit reference to religions in the Constitution is well known. United Kingdom: London considers the draft Constitution “imperfect”; it would need to be adjusted to guarantee “both the functioning of the 25-member EU, and the safeguard of national interests”. Contrary to any form of federalism in the EU, the UK is favourable to the right of individual States to decide for themselves on matters of foreign and defence policy, justice and taxation. Benelux: the three founding members of the European Community are favourable to the draft Convention. Denmark: Denmark wants to maintain unanimity on questions such as justice, defence and monetary policy through the so-called “opting out” mechanism on the basis of which a State may choose not to participate in one or more EU policies. New members: the most critical towards Giscard’s draft. They share the Commission’s position of one Commissioner per member state. European Parliament: it hopes for the approval of the Treaty, asks that the powers of the President of the European Council be limited to chairing the Council’s work and claims a more important role for the EP on matters of foreign and defence policy.
