Republican News · Thursday 7 March 2002

EU convention president wants European superpower

BY ROBBIE MacGABHANN

The 105 members of the newly formed EU constitutional convention met last week in Brussels to "write a new chapter in the history of Europe", according to convention president Valery Giscard d'Estaing.

So what will this new chapter be? Where are the 15 EU member states and the 20 plus aspiring applicants going? Well, according to d'Estaing, "if we succeed, in 25 or 50 years, Europe's role in the world will have changed". Excellent, so what will be different?

The EU "will be respected and listened to, not only as the economic power it already is, but as a political power which will talk on equal terms to the greatest powers on our planet," said d'Estaing.

We are to "dream of Europe", which is a bit difficult when the former French president clearly wants us to dream about Europe as a superpower.

Sinn Féin's representative to the Irish Forum on Europe, Aengus Ó Snodaigh highlighted the role of the Irish representatives to the convention. He said: "Proinsias De Rossa, John Bruton, and Ray McSharry would hardly inspire confidence in those of us who campaigned for a No vote during the Nice campaign. The fact that the government failed to include somebody from the 'No to Nice' side as a full delegate is another indication of the contempt that this government has shown towards the democratic wishes of the people.

"However, the reality is that the current representatives still have an opportunity to articulate the views of the majority of those who voted. They must state that it is the lack of democracy in European institutions and not the issue of enlargement that resulted in the No vote.

"The EU convention discussions are extremely important. It is vital that the Irish people are fully aware of what issues will be raised and that the process is fully open to democratic accountability.

"If the Irish representatives fail to outline the concerns expressed during the referendum campaign, they will be doing the electorate and the convention itself a disservice."