EU: The president of the European Commission has told the European Parliament that failure to approve an ambitious constitutional treaty next week could condemn Europe to becoming a marginal continent.
Mr Romano Prodi has urged EU leaders to resist moves to water down the draft text approved by the Convention on the Future of Europe.
"We have two stark choices: a divided Europe that is only a spectator on the world political stage or a united Europe contributing to peace, growth and sustainable development," he said. "Europe, if it does not grasp the nettle, risks becoming a marginal continent surrounded by other powerful actors."
Mr Prodi criticised the conduct of the Inter-governmental Council as being too preoccupied with disputes between member-states and reiterated the call he made in The Irish Times yesterday for a more flexible means of amending the treaty.
"It is disappointing that there was no progress whatsoever on adoption of a more flexible procedure to review the policy part of the constitution. The Commission will support all the presidency's efforts in this direction. Since new challenges may emerge, the constitution should not be a straitjacket on future action," he said.
A Commission spokesman declined to comment on Mr Prodi's statement yesterday that countries which rejected the constitutional treaty might have to leave the EU.
He confirmed, however, that the Commission president was quoted accurately. "He said what he said and it was reported correctly," he said.
Dublin MEP Mr Proinsias De Rossa told Mr Prodi in the European Parliament that his remarks could polarise the debate in Ireland. "To Irish ears that quote sounds very much like disrespect for the dignity of member-states and the rights of European citizens," Mr De Rossa said.
"If the report is correct, then you must make it clear that it is your personal view and not that of the Commission. Such attitudes polarise the European debate in Ireland around 'defence of the nation' rather than the democratisation of Europe."
The Tánaiste, Ms Harney, who was in Brussels for a meeting of EU industry ministers, condemned Mr Prodi's remarks.
"The Swedes voted against joining the euro and nobody would seriously suggest that they should leave the European Union," she said. "There are other issues from time to time where countries have difficulties. I think what we need to do is to win support for what we are doing in Europe rather than to threaten people."
Mr Prodi told the European Parliament that next week's summit must produce a treaty which improved on Nice and he warned against horse-trading. "A constitution worse than Nice is simply not defendable. We must avoid at all costs the kind of unseemly last-minute horse-trading in Brussels that could tarnish the image of the constitution before we have had a chance to present it.
"Remember that the first referendums on the constitution will be held a mere six months after the conclusion of the IGC," he said.
Mr Elmar Brok, one of the European Parliament's representatives at the IGC, said parliament would reject the new treaty if EU leaders acceded to a demand by finance ministers to reduce the influence of MEPs over the EU budget. "The budgetary powers are the main powers of this European Parliament," he said. "The European Parliament can't vote in favour of a constitution if this most important power has been put into question."