Prime Minister Janez Jansa believes that the upbeat mood prevailing at the ceremony to mark the 50th anniversary of the EU will make the search for a compromise on the EU constitution easier.
Speaking to the press after Sunday's ceremony in Berlin, Jansa said the celebrations have had a positive impact on the search for a compromise also in the countries that have failed to ratify the constitution so far.
"There is a large majority in the European Council that is inclined not only to the adoption of a (constitutional) timetable at June's summit, but also to a decision on a compromise," Jansa said.
A look back at the 50 years of the EU shows that most of the key dilemmas were solved with the strongest weapon, compromise. The need for a compromise to set new foundations for Europe was also at the forefront of talks at the special EU summit in Berlin, Jansa added.
The call for the formation of a "new common foundations" is also included in the Berlin Declaration that was signed today as part of celebrations of the 50th anniversary of the Treaty of Rome.
"This was the most difficult sentence," the Slovenian PM said. "It required much dexterity and effort to put this sentence on paper" and there "are great expectation in carrying what is written through - giving the EU new foundations before the elections to the European Parliament in 2009".
Without its institutional foundations there can be no progress "in a very important EU policy - enlargement", a key area as far as Slovenia is concerned, Jansa said.
Jansa believes that the importance of enlargement has been incorporated into the statement - although not explicitly mentioned - which also contains other facets important for Slovenia, including the mention of the euro and the social model. The declaration is "perfect, good", he said.
According to Jansa, Germany's tactic of wanting to achieve a symbolic breakthrough with an informal declaration and then shift the focus on formal efforts for dealing with institutional matters has proven a good one.
"Before additional steps can be taken, the mood has to be changed, an a step was taken in this direction today," he added.
A shift in the right direction has been seen with countries that have not ratified the EU constitution, foremost the Netherlands, although France's stance remains an enigma that may be answered after the country holds presidential elections, Jansa added.
The French and Dutch rejection of the EU constitution in referendums in 2005 had sparked the institutional crisis in the EU that the bloc has so far failed to overcome.
Meanwhile, Jansa also pointed out that 50 years after six countries - France, Italy, West Germany, Luxembourg, the Netherlands and Belgium - established an organisation that has transformed into the modern-day EU, the bloc has expanded to 27 members.
Fifteen of those 27 countries either did not exist or were under a dictatorship when the EU first emerged, Jansa stressed.
The summit in Berlin was also the last time that French President Jacques Chirac took part in a meeting of EU leaders, as his term runs out following April's presidential elections and he has already announced he will not be standing for the post again.
Chirac's counterparts today honoured the French president with a "symbolic historic gift" and a "thank you for his contribution to the European story", said Jansa.
The symbolic historic gift the Slovenian prime minister was speaking about is a beer keg from the 18th century.
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