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This Constitution isn't going anywhere...
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Regrettably there is an increasing disquiet with the way in which the Convention, charged with drafting a European Constitution, has gone about its business.
There have been rumblings amongst those on the Convention about a certain exclusivism and pushing of positions by the small clique which surrounds Valery Gistard D'Estaing, but this only involves perhaps 30 or so people amongst the 100 plus on the Convention.
Where are the people?
The more significant point is that increasing numbers of that other group, the 380 million people of Europe, are beginning to realise that a massive document is being drafted which seems to contain nothing of interest to them as individuals, heads of families or as members of local communities.
Business as usual, and that is not good
One basic realization is that it was not necessary to organize a Convention with all the associated costs and fuss, to draft a document which is essentially run-of-the mill European Commission stuff. The draft Constitution patently panders to the Commission's own lobby to secure its powers. Indeed, many working groups are chaired by Commission Commissioners and supported by their staff. Not exactly independent! The document, as a result, panders to the Commission's work mates, all of those so-called social partners including commercial lobbies. The emerging outcome of this work is a document advocating business as usual. But business as usual, as all Europeans know, has failed. There is a massive democratic deficit in Europe. The Commission made much fuss of its work on "European Governance" to demonstrate its deep concern with the problem of the democratic deficit; so where is the result? Well there was none in effect. But this lack of output has simply rolled forwards into yet another elaborate show, in the form of the Convention for the European Constitution.
Should have started within communities
Most damming of all has been the exclusion of European communities from the Convention process, indeed, any Constitution worthy of that name, should have been initiated amongst the people of Europe. The European elite, so-called, really needs to begin to trust the common sense of the people, it needs to understand democratic principles better and have the confidence to try and improve democracy. This elitism, making a poor show of "participation", really has to stop and decision making power needs to be returned more effectively to the people of Europe.
Empowering people is the only way forward for Europe
Until Europe empowers its people by creating a Constitution which gives them a voice and decision making power over the implementation of legislation, it will not advance. If these imperatives became the main focus then Europe could have a useful Constitution which would not only be a good deal shorter and, surely more important, at least inspiring.