BY FERAI TINC
HURRIYET- The EU member states will explain the new Constitution to their publics, because it is EU public opinion which will have the final say on it. Turkey has closely followed the Constitution’s preparation and therefore I assume that our prime minister, foreign minister and other officials and bodies know something about it. Since we are readying ourselves to become European citizens, we have to learn about this Constitution. Let’s begin to understand it by trying to answer this question: ‘What kind of Europe?’
The EU is an area where 25 countries with a total of 453 million citizens share common values. The Constitution stresses that it is a region of peace created through rules aiming at peace and prosperity. The concept which Europe sees as a guarantee of peace is ‘the existence of differences within the Union.’ Nobody wants others to become like them, but in the interests of harmony, mutual altruism constitutes the essence of the EU.
The Constitution aims at deepening the share of sovereignty. Its purpose is to establish a real union among European peoples and nations to make Europe a single actor on the international stage. Furthermore, the basic rights of European people gain legal power. The section on citizenship says that European citizenship is a supplement of national citizenship and cannot replace it.
The European Parliament will become more influential. The EP will approve laws as the Council of Ministers. Its authority has been expanded into fields like controlling the Union’s borders and approving the budget. The EP will also choose the leader who will represent Europe for two-and-a-half years. The purpose of the Constitution is to bring Europeans closer to each other.
The EU seems to be determined to become an influential actor in world politics. Within the framework of joint security policy, the Constitution says that ‘if a member state faces an attack, other members will com to its aid.’ The Constitution granting member states the opportunity to establish defense integration should also be underlined. Even the framework of the EU Constitution shows Turkey that it has no choice besides becoming an EU member. We won’t approve the EU Constitution, but we were present at its establishment and we will soon claim our rights within its framework. When approved, it will also be our Constitution.