○ PMTonyBlairsspeechtoEUParliament ○
now,almost50yearson,wehavetorenew.thereisnoshameinthat.allititutiomustdoit.andwecan.butonlyifweremarrytheeuropeanidealswebelieveinwiththemodernworldwelivein.
ifeuropedefaultedtoeuroscepticism,orifeuropeannatiofacedwiththisimmeechallenge,decidetohuddletogether,hopingwecanavoidglobalisation,shrinkawayfromconfrontingthechangesaroundus,takerefugeinthepresentpoliciesofeuropeasifbycotantlyrepeatingthem,wewouldbytheveryactofrepetitionmakethemmorerelevant,thenweriskfailure.failureonagrand,strategic,scale.thisisnotatimetoaccusethosewhowanteuropetochangeofbetrayingeurope.itisatimetorecognisethatonlybychangewilleuroperecoveritsstrength,itsrelevance,itsidealismandthereforeitssuortamongstthepeople.
andaseverthepeopleareaheadofthepoliticia.wealwaysthinkasapoliticalclathatpeople,unconcernedwiththedailyoeionofpolitics,maynotunderstandit,maynotseeitssubtletiesanditscomplexities.but,ultimately,peoplealwaysseepoliticsmoreclearlythanus.preciselybecausetheyarenotdailyoeedwithit.
theiueisnotabouttheideaoftheeuropeanunion.itisaboutmodernisation.itisaboutpolicy.itisnotadebateabouthowtoabandoneuropebuthowtomakeitdowhatitwassetuptodo:improvethelivesofpeople.andrightnow,theyaren''tconvinced.coiderthis.
forfouryearseuropeconductedadebateoverournewcotitution,twoyearsofitintheconvention.itwasadetailedandcarefulpieceofworksettingoutthenewrulestogovernaeuropeof25andintime27,28andmorememberstates.itwasendorsedbyallgovernments.itwassuortedbyallleaders.itwasthencompreheivelyrejectedinreferendumsintwofoundingmemberstates,inthecaseofthenetherlandsbyover60percent.therealityisthatinmostmemberstatesitwouldbehardtodaytosecurea''yes''foritinareferendum.
therearetwopoibleexplanatio.oneisthatpeoplestudiedthecotitutionanddisagreedwithitsprecisearticles.idoubtthatwasthebasisofthemajority''no''.thiswasnotaniueofbaddraftingorecifictextualdisagreement.
theotherexplanationisthatthecotitutionbecamemerely
