Unsurprisingly, the Slovakian parliament has endorsed the E U constitution ( The Treaty Establishing A Constitution For Europe ) 116 deputies voted in favour, 27 against and 4 abstained.Members of the right-of-centre Christian Democrat Party (KDH), who had been in favour of a referendum but were overruled by their colleagues in the government coalition, voted against.According to the Slovak Spectator:
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“During the parliamentary debate prior to the vote, KDH chairman Pavol Hrušovský complained that the document lacks democracy, Christianity and sincerity.
"A lack of democracy threatens Europe, and the smaller countries will be weakened in favour of the larger ones," he said.”
"A lack of democracy threatens Europe, and the smaller countries will be weakened in favour of the larger ones," he said.”
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The Communist Party also opposed the Constitution but, interestingly, Vladimír Mečiar, leader of the Movement for a Democratic Slovakia, whose rather less than democratic government was severely criticized by all west European countries and the European Union, has become a born-again proponent of European integration, explaining that he would welcome the creation of a United States of Europe, admitting that it was unlikely to happen in his lifetime.
The Communist Party also opposed the Constitution but, interestingly, Vladimír Mečiar, leader of the Movement for a Democratic Slovakia, whose rather less than democratic government was severely criticized by all west European countries and the European Union, has become a born-again proponent of European integration, explaining that he would welcome the creation of a United States of Europe, admitting that it was unlikely to happen in his lifetime.
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Meanwhile, Germany's Bundestag has overwhelmingly approved the constitution: a total of 569 members voted in favour, with 23 against and two abstentions. Addressing the Bundestag just before the vote, Schröder told the deputies: "I ask you not to be too petty or too obsessed with the detail of the odd half sentence that may not completely meet our expectations.''
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