Paris, 21/02/2001 (Agence Europe) - In an article published in Le Monde, La Repubblica the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung and ABC of 21 February, European Parliament President Nicole Fontaine denounces the "weaknesses" of the Nice Summit but stresses that it "opened up the future". "I'm not sure that we could have done better", she acknowledges. And, to those who claim that the rejection of the Treaty of Nice "by the parliament of a large founder country of the European Community would have the effect of a jolt", she replies, speaking personally, that she does not share that opinion. "Let's imagine for a single moment the devastating effect the kind of negative signal that would have on applicant countries", she says.
Ms. Fontaine especially turns to the post-Nice process, considering that "we cannot continue to build Europe in closed circles, however competent and invested with legitimacy they may be, without taking account the changing attitudes". She then adds: "That is why the European Parliament has already strongly urged the Heads of State and Government to draw the consequences of the unfortunate experience of Nice. The response provided will count in the overall appreciation of the dynamic of which the future Treaty will seem to it to be invested or not. The work, that is to lead to a draft Constitution for Europe, finally comprehensible for citizens, should be prepared within a body representative of the dual democratic legitimacy: European Parliament/Commission, national parliaments/governments". As for method, Ms. Fontaine also stipulates "we must separate the time for open reflection and the proposal, which demands an entity with its ears close to the ground regarding contemporary developments, from that of the decision, for which everyone knows full well that it will be subjected to constraints and balances between which it will, in the end, be up to the governments of States to situate themselves".