The Hindu

Friday, Oct 03, 2003

Italy to push for reference to Christianity in E.U. statute

By Vaiju Naravane

Paris Oct. 2. Italy is expected to push hard for the inclusion of a
reference to Europe's Christian roots in the European Union's future
Constitution, which will be under discussion at a conference that opens in
Rome this weekend.

At present, Italy presides over the 15-member Union soon to be enlarged with
10 new members, mainly from Eastern Europe. Some members of the E.U.,
chiefly Italy, Spain and Ireland and Poland, one of the 10 future members,
are in favour of a specific mention of Christianity in the document, a move
opposed by other secular republics such as France. Pope John Paul II has
repeatedly urged mention of Christianity in the final document.

"Italy will work for an ever more united Europe and do all it can to ensure
that the Pope's proposal for a reference in the European Constitution to
Europe's Christian roots has a good reception," the Italian Foreign
Minister, Franco Frattini, said following meetings in Rome with the Turkish
Foreign Minister, Abdullah Gul. "Italy believes this fundamental point in
the Constitution's preamble can be modified without changing the overall
draft put together with such effort," Mr. Frattini said. Many countries are
opposed to the membership of Turkey, a predominantly Muslim, albeit
constitutionally secular state, in the E.U. Any reference to Christianity
would vastly diminish the chances of Turkey's inclusion.

There are no references to Christianity in the present draft document
prepared after much wrangling by a European Convention headed by the former
French President, Valery Giscard d'Estaing. He opposed the Pope's appeal for
a specific reference to Christianity on the grounds that European
democracies were founded on the principle of secularism.

Mr. Frattini said secularism was a principle underlying political
institutions. "A reference to the Christian tradition is a historical value
uniting all the European peoples."

The inter-governmental conference will be a major test for Italy's Prime
Minister, Silvio Berlusconi, who has often angered fellow Europeans by his
abrasive personal style and his apparent reluctance or inability to put an
end to his conflict of interests. Mr. Berlusconi, a committed Catholic, will
push hard for changes. It will be a difficult task since unanimity is
required for text changes.

The risk of failure is high. Smaller countries are opposing the blueprint,
fearing that the Constitution, as it stands, concentrates too much power in
major nations such as France and Germany.

The heads of Government of four East European states said they were ready to
fight for their interests. Leaders of the so-called Visegrad group —
Hungary, Poland, the Czech Republic and Slovakia — said they wanted to see
the Constitution include the principle of "one country, one commissioner
(minister)" and have a collective, rotating E.U. presidency.

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