Slovenia's parliament overwhelmingly ratified the European Union constitution today, becoming the third of the 25 EU members to endorse the treaty.
"The constitutional treaty represents a good compromise of all (EU) countries, although no country was entirely satisfied with it," Slovenian centre-right Prime Minister Janez Jansa told parliament before deputies backed the treaty by 79 votes to four.
"Slovenia is satisfied with this compromise ... which represents a move towards a more effective, democratic Europe."
Slovenia, a small Alpine state of two million people which declared independence from the former Yugoslavia in 1991, was one of 10 mostly East European countries that joined the EU last May.
The constitutional treaty was agreed by EU leaders last June after much haggling over voting powers.
It replaces a list of previous EU treaties and is designed to help the bloc adapt to its enlargement to 25 members last year.
The fate of the treaty will be sealed by referendums which will be held in at least nine EU memberstates, including Ireland, where approval is far from certain.
Among the other countries that will hold referendums are Britain, France, the Netherlands, Denmark, Poland and possibly the Czech Republic.
The treaty is expected to take effect on November 1st, 2006, provided all EU memberstates ratify it by then. Apart from Slovenia, only Lithuania and Hungary have ratified the constitution so far.