18/05/2004 (Agence Europe) - After the continuation of the Intergovernmental Conference on the European Constitution at Ministerial level (see above), the MEP Jo Leinen, President of the Union of European Federalists (UEF) has sent out the following alarm call: "for the sake of the least common denominator, the Constitution is in danger of being watered down". He feels that the IGC should stay as close as possible to the Convention's text, especially on majority voting and the budgetary powers of the European Parliament. The role of the Parliament will be seriously curtailed if we continue to apply unanimity to trade policy and foreign direct investments, warns the German Social Democrat, who also calls for "the EU not to be held hostage by its most reticent members", and for the Constitution approved by the IGC to enter into force once approved by the European Parliament and ratified by "a vast majority of Member States".