Dehaene and Leinen: “Citizens are the Winners from the Constitution”

Young European Federalists (JEF-Europe) launched on Friday its ”Give Europe Your Say – Face the Ratification Debate” event featuring speakers having strong opinions about the ratification process of the Constitution.

Former prime minister of Belgium and vice-president of the Convention Jean-Luc Dehaene stated that “the Constitution gives an answer for the challenge the EU is facing after enlargement but also answer for bringing the union closer to its citizens”.

Dehaene reminded the audience that “The Constitution is not yet an ideal one, but it is a great step forward for the EU to become a true political union, which can play an important role in the multipolar world.”

Chair of the Committee on Constitutional Affairs in the European Parliament, Jo Leinen pointed out the importance of the positive message the yes side should underline in their campaigns. “In the whole Constitution there is no single step backwards in the development of the EU. Some steps are smaller and some steps are bigger, but as a whole, it is a major improvement for the EU itself, but most of all for the citizens.”

Concluding the debate President of the European Youth Forum Renaldas Vaisbrodas was clear in his message the European Constitution “is not a string of ratifications, but a decisive process to change the way the European Union functions.”

”Give Europe Your Say –Face the Ratification Debate” organised by JEF-Europe, gathers 150 young people from 30 different countries for three days in Brussels to debate about the new Constitution.