Brussels, 07/03/2005 (Agence Europe) - At the end of his informal summit with President Chirac on 7 March in his native village of Blomberg, Chancellor Schröder said he was confident Germany would ratify the European Constitution in the second half of May. In Germany, a majority of two thirds is required in the Bundestag (at a vote expected in May) and in the Bundesrat (at a vote planned for the beginning of June) to ratify the constitution. On Monday, Gerhard Schröder told the press he expected "we will obtain the necessary two thirds majority" and he hoped Germany's ratification of the constitution would be a sort of example for other member states (alluding to the French referendum scheduled for 29 May): cf. p.7 on the appeal launched by Elmar Brok in the German parliament on behalf of the Europa-Union).
The constitution has so far been ratified: by referendum in Spain (20 February 2005) and by parliament in Lithuania (11 November 2004), Hungary (20 December 2004) and Slovenia (1 February 2005).