THE EU: Support for a constitutional treaty for the European Union has risen by 10 per cent since last summer, with three out of four EU citizens agreeing that the Union should adopt a constitution.
Support for a constitutional treaty for the European Union has risen by 10 per cent since last summer, with three out of four EU citizens agreeing that the Union should adopt a constitution. A Eurobarometer poll published yesterday also found that 62 per cent of respondents want their national governments to make concessions to secure an agreement.
More than two-thirds of citizens believe that EU institutions could be paralysed without a constitutional treaty and almost 60 per cent favour allowing groups of countries to press ahead with closer integration within the EU.
Support for a constitutional treaty was above average in Ireland, with 80 per cent in favour and 11 per cent against. Irish respondents were more willing to make concessions too, with 70 per cent wanting the government to compromise for the sake of an agreement, compared to an EU average of 62 per cent.
71 per cent of respondents in the 25 present and future member-states favour the creation of an EU foreign minister. 80 per cent of Irish respondents favoured the creation of such a post.
The survey, which was conducted shortly after the collapse of negotiations on the constitutional treaty in Brussels last December, confirmed that most people do not feel well informed about the constitutional treaty.
Respondents were confronted with two false statements on the contents of the Constitution, namely the direct election of the European Council president and the creation of a European army. In each case, around 40 per cent of respondents declared the statement to be true, while roughly another 40 per cent declared the statement to be false.
The Taoiseach will report next month to EU leaders on the progress of his efforts to revive negotiations on the constitutional treaty. Mr Ahern has identified 20 unresolved issues, the biggest of which concerns a proposal to introduce a new voting system in the Council of Ministers, where national governments meet.
If the Taoiseach concludes that sufficient progress has been made, he is expected to convene formal negotiations in April.