Brussels, 12/11/2004 (Agence Europe) - Lithuania on Thursday became the first of the 25 member states of the European Union to ratify the draft European Constitution signed on 29 October in Rome. The Parliament of the Baltic state, which joined the EU in May, adopted the draft by 84 votes to four; with three abstentions. The President of the European Convention; Valéry Giscard d'Estaing, immediately sent his congratulations to the Parliament in Vilnius. Meanwhile; it has become very unlikely that the German public will be called upon to give an opinion on the Constitution in a referendum. The CDU; the main opposition party, has said that it does not see the need for a discussion on the introduction of elements of direct democracy in the German constitution which, as it currently stands, only provides the option of holding national referendums.
On Wednesday, a meeting of the group of socialist members of the European Parliament voted in favour of the Constitution, appealing to all 25 member states to ratify it. According to a communication from the socialist group of the EP, the meeting decided "unanimously" in favour of the Constitution, but a spokesperson for the PSE subsequently said that "only some" of the 200 socialist MEPs took part in the meeting and the vote; and that only those in favour of the Constitution expressed an opinion by raising their hand. The vote was the subject of displeasure among some French socialists, who will not give an opinion until 1 December at an internal consultation for or against the European Constitution.