EU cracks show over constitution crisis

Europe’s leaders are set for a battle over how to handle the EU’s constitution crisis at a Brussels summit in two weeks.

Both France and the Netherlands have delivered resounding referendum rejections to the EU constitution throwing other votes into doubt.

The EU presidency is to ask Europe’s leaders to let the show go on at a Brussels meeting on June 16.

Luxembourg’s Prime Minister and holder of the EU presidency Jean-Claude Juncker will urge that Europe’s bumpy democratic process goes on.

“It is my view that the ratification process should continue in the other member states.”

“In member states that have not already voted, people have the right to express their opinion, and parliaments have the right to have their say and have their opinion heard,” he said.

“The debate must continue because in France and the Netherlands we have seen that there was a debate. We want the other member states now to have the opportunity to tackle the same debate.”

A clause in the EU constitution itself allows the procedure to continue until up to five countries fail to ratify.

But Britain, Ireland, Luxembourg, Poland, Portugal, Denmark and the Czech Republic are set to hold popular votes and may wish to rethink referendums on a fatally wounded EU treaty.

London and Warsaw are said to be leading a push to kill off difficult votes - and the EU constitution.

Juncker may find himself isolated in Brussels with the European Commission staying conspicuously silent on the question of continuing ratification.

A joint statement published by the EU presidency, commission and European Parliament fails to clearly demand that the ratification process to continue.

“The 14 member states that have not yet had the chance to bring to a conclusion the process of ratification are today faced with a situation in which, although nine member states have ratified the constitutional treaty, two have rejected it,” said the statement.

“For this reason the presidency has decided that the [EU summit] could usefully carry out a serious collective analysis of the situation.”

Speaking before the Dutch result, European Commission President José Manuel Barroso urged a collective EU response but stepped back from a ratification call.

“The next summit will look at the problems that follow the French referendum. I think it will not be wise before that summit if EU leaders come up with new initiatives or unilateral decisions that could make it even harder to reach a consensus."

“I hope consensus will come and that the summit clarifies the situation, because we need clarification and we need to know where we are going,” he said.

“That is why I hope the EU leaders give a clear signal about the future of the EU and that until then they avoid taking unilateral decisions that make the necessary consensus more difficult.”

UK foreign minister Jack Straw stressed the Dutch and French results asked “profound questions” about the way forward.

"The people of the Netherlands have now added their voice to that of the people of France... the verdict of these referendums now raises profound questions for all of us about the future direction of Europe," he said.

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