EU Constitution: Parliament Ratifies Landmark Document
Parliament ratified the European constitution with an overwhelming majority on Tuesday, with 79 votes backing the document and only four MPs voting against. Slovenia has thus become the third EU member state, after Lithuania and Hungary, to ratify the constitution.
Six of the seven parliamentary parties voted in favour of the ratification, with only four MPs of the oppositional National Party (SNS) voting against.
Prime Minister Janez Jansa congratulated the MPs on behalf of the government for this "important and symbolic vote", welcoming the support with which the parties endorsed the document.
The PM said the overwhelming support confirmed the unity that has always been present in Slovenia when the national goal of EU accession was in question.
"I am pleased that the positions on this issue remained the same although the roles have changed," said Jansa, referring to the change of government after the October general election.
He said a certain degree of consensus on EU issues was important also after the EU accession, particularly in the light of Slovenia's upcoming presidency of the EU in 2008.
A two-thirds majority in the 90-seat parliament was necessary for the document to be ratified.
The constitutional treaty will come into force after being ratified in all EU member states, expectedly on 1 November 2006.
"This is a landmark event for Slovenia," the European Commissioner from Slovenia Janez Potocnik said as he commented on Slovenia's ratification of the EU constitution. His view was echoed by the foreign ministry, while a Slovenian member of the European Parliament underscored the example Slovenia was setting by ratifying the constitution early on.
Potocnik, the European commissioner for science and research, said he was happy with the fact such a large majority backed the constitution and that Slovenia was among the first EU member states to ratify the constitution.
According to Potocnik, the constitution will streamline the operations of the enlarged EU and introduce transparency and other features that guarantee a successful future for the bloc.
The prompt ratification is also an important signal of affiliation to the European idea both inside and outside of Slovenia. Indeed, he said, it was a "right and logical" decision. He rejected claims that Slovenia ratified the treaty without giving the public a chance to get to know it.
The Foreign Ministry labelled the ratification "a crucial step for the EU's future". "The novelties and improvements of the constitutional treaty will enable the EU to face internal and external challenges in the coming years," the ministry said in a press release.
Miha Brejc, one of Slovenia's seven members of the European Parliament, also praised the ratification. "Slovenia is a role model for EU countries still awaiting ratification or referendum," he said in a press release.
Noting that the constitution was a compromise so "nobody is happy with everything", Brejc emphasised that the treaty "is not a panacea for all problems of the EU, yet it is an opportunity for the reduction of the EU's democratic deficit and faster development".
Meanwhile, Erwan Fouere, the European Commission's top official in Slovenia, welcomed the ratification, but highlighted the importance of informing the people about the document.
He said the EU institutions, members of the European and national parliaments of the EU member states, mayors and local authorities have the responsibility to inform the public about the contents of the treaty. Today's event is definitely very important groundwork for further debate, Fouere said.
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