The European Union unveiled its draft constitution last weekend. The document overhauls the institutions and procedures of the union of 15 countries to better prepare it for the expansion scheduled for 2004 when 10 new members are added. The constitution navigates between two imperatives: safeguarding the interests of member states and ensuring that the EU can function as it grows. The restrained enthusiasm that greeted the draft constitution suggests that there is a long way to go before a comfortable balance will be struck.
The drafting process began 16 months ago when the EU governments called on former French President Valery Giscard d'Estaing to head a 105-member constitutional convention. The convention's delegates included politicians from national governments, national and European parliaments and the European Commission, drawing from both current and prospective members. The preference for politicians rather than diplomats was intended to stress the democratic nature of the exercise. Popular legitimacy was considered crucial given the expanded powers and the new rules that the constitution would adopt. One of the chief criticisms of the EU has been its distance from the people it represents. The constitutional convention was sent off with the mandate to develop a document that is "more democratic, more transparent and more efficient."
Key elements of the draft include the appointment of a president of the European Council who would serve for 2 1/2 years. The council is currently made up of heads of state, with the presidency rotating among all member states every six months. This change is designed to give the head of the EU a chance to direct the organization and would answer Mr. Henry Kissinger's famous quip about who Washington was supposed to call in the EU during a crisis.