Priority to the Eurosceptics. This time, priority to the Eurosceptics: it is from them that came the most significant parliamentary initiative. On behalf of the "SOS Democracy" Intergroup, the European of Nations group and that of the European of Democracies and Diversities, with the support of a Swedish Green and a British Conservative (see bulletin of 16 February, p.6), have launched the "European debate on the Post-Nice process". The aim is clear: not to leave the monopoly on discussions over the Europe of tomorrow to the federalists and the other movements in favour of integration. Not only a legitimate aim, but also opportune and desirable, as it is evident that the debate is open to all.
Those promoting the initiative, who call for a Community cofinancing, aim to gain, after the public debate, stances from the national parliaments. Their hope is obviously to draw benefit from the present rise in the partial disenchantment of public opinion with regards to the European building process, in order to channel the surrounding scepticism and to transform it into a movement of opinion. However they know that this disenchantment is mainly concentrated in a few Member States; this is why they intend to not only develop a "European debate", but fifteen national debates and feel that, in a second phase, four national parliaments will be able to formulate joint proposals on the future of Europe. They are obviously certain of finding at least four parliaments in favour of their ideas…
Has "SOS Democracy" perceived the possible development of its move? Should we rejoice from this initiative of diverse points of view. Firstly, the Eurosceptics prove that they have understood that the debate over the Europe of tomorrow cannot be avoided. At first glance this is a banality, but it was not so recently, when certain governments (notably in London, Copenhagen, and Stockholm) felt that it was precisely necessary to avoid it so as not to fall into endless quarrels over doctrine. The second, we feel it is not only positive, but necessary that all the ideas may be expressed and that no movement may one day say that it was marginalised or prevented from being heard. Obviously there exists a danger for those promoting the initiative: if the "national" debates reveal the existence of an insurmountable cleavage between the public opinions of three or four countries and the others, between the parliaments of three or four countries and the others, it could prove inevitable to resort to a treaty to which would take part the Member States who so wish, without the presence of those which oppose it. This is not the desirable solution; but it could be the result of the move foreseeing that four parliaments may make joint proposals at the new IGC, and that the national parliaments are consulted in "first reading" before the final negotiation. "SOS Democracy's" aim is to block the advance of a text that in their eyes, will go too far down the road of integration. Which means, in short, that the final draft, in order to please everybody, will have to based upon the principal of the "lowest common denominator".
Jean-Luc Dehaene is still there. The former Belgian Prime Minister (in his time candidate of fourteen Heads of Government to the Presidency of the European Commission), in talking of the post-Nice before the European Federalist Movement (Belgium), took position over several points: a stronger and more compact European Commission; a double majority voting system in the Council (States and population); generalised Parliament/Council codecision; the bringing into the Community sphere of enhanced cooperation; separation between a basic treaty and an enforcement treaty. We are in agreement over all these points except one (guess which). Mr Dehaene also offered his full cooperation for the imminent success of the Belgian Council Presidency, beyond the differences between majority and opposition. An example to be followed.
(F.R.)
DANTE DID NOT ONLY WRITE THE DIVINE COMEDY
A reader pointed out to me his inability to find in the Divine Comedy the line "al poco giorno ed al gran cerchio d'ombra…" quoted in this section on 5/6 February. Dante has composed other works (which I refuse to call his "lesser works" as the term "lesser" is never appropriate when it concerns Dante's poetry). The line quoted can be found in the "Rime", a "sestina" which includes the meter created by Arnaut Daniel.