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The challenge of finding out a shared soul for Europe was the most difficult one, but the most fascinating one at the same time. It was not easy reaching a compromise, because of the divisions,as we said, between those who wanted a “minimalist” Europe and those who wanted a deeper one. The idea about the Constitution, which we spoke about in a whispered way, but which couldn’t be part of the debate yet, came out in Nizza summit, when we realized it was impossible going on with the decision-making methods we inherit from history, from the past, in a brand new Europe. In the night of Nizza the fight among different countries lasted for hours and hours, in which everyone tried to measure the others’ strenght and influence, leaving tensions, and a set of unsolvable problems. And in this moment the Commission proposed, and I started, with a quite timid method perhaps, but it was the only one I could use, the idea of a “convention”, of convoking an assembly in order to discuss a new convention. A convention made up of those who represented Europe, the democratic side of Europe. European parliament, national parliaments, the member Stases representatives, the representative of the Commission and so on were delivered in a great assembly called “ European convention”, which discussed allover 18 months, in a democratic way, about the new constitution, including the roots of a New Europe. Obviously a so complex political picture, the different ideas about Europe coming from different countries made the Constitution project one of compromise. A serious, strong compromise, in which the first and the second part dealt with the general aspects and the main principles of the Union, the third one with the procedures, the techniques and special goals. It’s been hard, but reading now the set of debates,they give the sense of the strenght of the debate itself, because people and governments leaders were really looking for something new and strong. And, as I said, the text was a compromise, that left the ones and the others unhappy. One of the reasons why French and Dutch referenda rejected the constitution was the fact someone wanted “more Europe” and someone “less Europe”. So we must think about this important chapter of European history again. We must think about it from the basis, trying to find new goals which can mend European people and give them that soul, that spirit, those shares targets we must have in order to make Europe a stong protagonist of the new world.
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