Secrecy, pomp and pageantry - Berlin text reveals an EU elite out of step with citizens

international | eu | press release Tuesday April 10, 2007 10:37 by David Lundy

"The drafting of the text of the Berlin declaration was a case of backroom diplomacy, without any civil society participation. This does not allow for a convincing democratic argument in favour of the statement and it logically follows that the declaration completely ignores the fact that millions of people in the EU are living in poverty, coping with unemployment and social exclusion" Gabi Zimmer (GUE/NGL Germany) said in today's European Parliament debate with Chancellor Merkel on the issue.

Zimmer said that in failing to criticise the socially and ecologically destructive neo-liberal policies of the EU and in representing yet another push towards further militarisation, it was clear that the German Presidency was out of step with reality.

"It is obvious that the EU heads of state and/or the so called "Sherpas" are not on the same wavelength. If the presidency is serious about placing the EU on a "renewed common basis" before the European Parliament elections in 2009 then it must delete from the entire draft of the constitution, all those references that insist on liberalisation, privatisation and militarisation. The discussion on that European Union, the one that the majority of people in Europe want, could then be opened up!" she concluded.

Addressing Chancellor Merkel, Italian MEP Roberto Musacchio told the President-in-office of the Council that he could not support the methods used to give a "kick-start" to the EU, an attempt he said was solely based on intergovernmental negotiations.

"The result will be a bare minimum of agreement across a range of areas. This text must be amended. The European Parliament is ready and must have the authority to draft a constitutional text based on citizenship rights, peace, jobs and the environment" Musacchio said.

According to Pedro Guerreiro (GUE/NGL, Portugal) the "pomp and ceremony" surrounding the Berlin declaration showed clearly that it was a rehash of the constitution.

"The move to recover the contents of a treaty that has already been rejected is totally unacceptable. Despite the attempts of the "elites" to create a grandiose event, what was sobering was its artificiality and the total exclusion of citizens. The EU elites are now in conflict with the interests and aspirations of the different peoples of Europe and of the World.

GUE/NGL Press
Gianfranco Battistini +32 475 64 66 28
David Lundy +32 485 50 58 12
www.guengl.eu