Brussels, 09/05/2006 (Agence Europe) - As expected, the Estonian Parliament ratified on 9 May the European Constitutional Treaty (73 votes for and one against). Estonia is the 15th EU Member State to have ratified the Constitution: France and the Netherlands rejected it and the United Kingdom, Ireland, Sweden, Finland, Denmark, Portugal, Poland and the Czech Republic still have to decide.
Jo Leinen, President of the European Parliament's Constitutional Committee declared, “Although we respect the position of the French and Dutch 'No' voters, the ratification in Estonia shows that the European Constitution is not dead but alive”. The German Social Democrat added, “With the Treaty of Nice the EU of 27 will be the victim of institutional and policy deficits. Renegotiating the Constitutional Treaty is no viable solution…The solution to the current crises of the EU has to be based on the European Constitution which has been already approved by all governments in the EU”. According to Mr Leinen, “The strong support for the European Constitution was also shown…in …discussions in the Parliamentary Forum of the national parliaments and the European Parliament”. (See other article).