On the eve of the European Council on 25 and 26 March 2004, where the focus for debate will be the fate of the Constitution, the Socialist family within the European Parliament once again expressed to the Irish Presidency of the Council in Strasbourg on 10 March 2004 the need to have a Constitution before the European elections next June.

Enrique Barón sees the Constitution as "representing a fundamental element in allowing a new, enlarged Europe to function properly." The time has now come to show willing and the capacity to overcome the differences that divide us, and to reach agreement on this Constitution that the ordinary citizen is so keen to see, as the latest opinion polls indicate. Failure to seize this opportunity would be a mistake that would leave deep scars whose future effects would be very severe. Conscious of these high stakes, we are ready to support any initiative that might help to free the current logjam we face.

Nevertheless, we feel that the solutions found must not in any way call into question the character and legitimacy of the Constitution. For example, we think that, in the search for a compromise on one of the more delicate issues like the weighting of Council votes, the double-majority principle must be upheld, and that the aim must be one of improving the highly complicated system provided in the Nice Treaty. Decision-making must be made easier and more comprehensible.

We also feel that the scope of qualified-majority voting should not in any way be reduced since this would contribute to total paralysis in Union decision-making. We want a working Union endowed with a capacity for action that leaves it in a position to confront the challenges we face in the modern world. Citizens expect the Union to provide practical answers to their needs and concerns, notably on employment and security. Without a doubt, the Constitution will help achieve these aims.

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