21/06/2007 (Agence Europe) - “The substance of the European constitution must be kept but one could get rid of the symbols”. This “magic formula” referred to be Angela Merkel did not convince German Social Democrat Jo Leinen, president of the EP's constitutional affairs committee. Leinen regards the suppression of symbolic elements as a “political loss”. However, in a “reflection” on changes to the Constitutional Treaty that could pave the way to a solution, Jo Leinen concluded by acknowledging that: “the dispute between intergovernmentalists and integrationists continues unabated” and that after enlargement to 27 members “the consolidation of the EU will not come in the quick way the friends of Europe thought”. Leinen affirmed that this would have consequences for possible future enlargements and, “if the blockade continues a Europe of two speeds or even two tiers with an avant-garde of willing countries cannot be prevented”. (lg)