Blair to Defy Voters on EU Constitution

By JAMES CHAPMAN

TONY Blair is today set to sign up to a controversial declaration paving the way for a new EU constitution, despite a poll showing massive opposition across the Continent.

As the Prime Minister flew to Berlin for the EU’s 50th ‘birthday party’, the first independent survey conducted across all 27 member states revealed that 75 per cent of Europeans want a referendum on any treaty giving more powers to Brussels.

In the UK, 83 per cent want a poll and more than three to one would vote against.

Despite that, Mr Blair is expected to back the Berlin Declaration, which vows to give the EU a ‘renewed common basis’ by 2009.

While it will make no specific mention of the rejected constitution, Germany, which currently holds the EU presidency, has made no secret of what the wording is meant to signal.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel has vowed to unveil a ‘road map’ for reviving the treaty which would give the EU its own president and foreign minister at a summit in June. The meeting will also be Mr Blair’s last outing on the world stage as PM.

Yesterday Mrs Merkel made it clear she wanted to go further still, saying the EU should move towards creating a common army.

She said the existing structure of the EU meant member states often spent too long grappling with decisions. ‘To change that, we need the EU constitution, which suits the decision mechanism of the larger EU,’ she declared.

One German official added: ‘The declaration does not contain the word constitution because there would be a heated argument about the term. That has been put off until the summer.’ Critics warn that under the terms of the treaty, Britain would lose its legal independence and would be bound by EU doctrine in key policy areas, including foreign and security policy.

The constitution was put on ice after it was rejected by referenda in France and the Netherlands in May 2005.

Today’s poll, carried out for the Open Europe think tank, showed a majority in all 27 EU countries would want a referendum.

UK voters would vote 67 per cent to 21 per cent against such a new treaty, with majorities also voting ‘no’ in 16 other EU countries, including Germany.

While the Berlin Declaration is to cite the euro as one of the great achievements of the EU, a majority of citizens now want to go back to their old national currencies.

Opposition to joining in the UK is at its highest ever level 77 per cent to 19 per cent against. Only Romania, Denmark and Malta would vote to join.

Open Europe’s director Neil O’Brien said: ‘EU leaders would do well to listen to what the voters are saying.

‘The Berlin Declaration is likely to start a process leading to a new treaty to replace the rejected EU Constitution.

‘EU leaders hope to avoid holding referendums on a new treaty, but voters all across Europe are saying that they want to have the final say on any new treaty that gives more powers to the EU.’ Yesterday European Commissioner Peter Mandelson confirmed a new version of the constitution was being prepared. In an interview with Al Jazeera television he said: ‘We’ve got to find a new version and represent it and, I hope, with better luck next time.’

j.chapman@dailymail.co.uk

(c) 2007 Daily Mail; London (UK). Provided by ProQuest Information and Learning. All rights Reserved.