Political realism has made the Government decide there will be no referendum on the Treaty establishing a Constitution for Europe this Dáil term, following its rejection in the French and Dutch referendums. But the Government continues to support the constitution and wants it to come into force as soon as possible. Yesterday it published an explanatory White Paper as a contribution to the period of reflection on the subject decided by the European Council last June. It is a timely move, coinciding with similar initiatives by the European Commission and the National Forum on Europe.
Opinions differ on the merits of the constitution throughout the EU's 25 member-states, and on whether the two rejections mean it should now be abandoned. To do so at this stage would be unfair, since the document has been ratified by 14 EU member-states (including two by referendum) representing a majority of the 450 million people directly concerned. That is why it makes good sense to wait until June next year for a considered decision on what should be done.
If this is to reflect public opinion as well as Government attitudes it is essential that there should be a wide-ranging debate over the next nine months on the constitution and how the EU relates to citizens. The White Paper deserves to be read carefully by all concerned in Ireland's debate on the subject.
It is necessary to do so because the issues the constitution addresses will not go away even if it is agreed they need more deliberation and fresh negotiation over coming years. The Commission president, José Manuel Barroso, says he is convinced the constitution will not be implemented in the foreseeable future and wants EU leaders to concentrate on an achievable economic and political agenda. Yet in doing so they must confront the issues of how to manage globalisation, relate to the rest of the world, organise internal social and security policy and deal more democratically with citizens. All of these issues are tackled in the constitution.
Writing in this newspaper yesterday Commissioner Margot Wallström said that this dialogue must go beyond issues of institutional reform to embrace subjects that directly engage citizens. It is good to see the Commission moving beyond policies of top-down communication towards facilitating democratic debate. This is a challenge for political leaders and civil society in the member-states. Politicians can too easily blame Brussels for decisions in which they have themselves been involved and for which they are responsible. They will regain public confidence and trust by being more honest about this.