THE EVER more neo-liberal and imperialist polices of European governments is giving rise to ever increasing discontent.
We've seen it in the big mobilisations and the votes that have hit the parties in power hard in June's European elections. But only one week after this massive rejection the European governments launched their joint counter-attack, something they had kept hidden during the election campaign.
It will come into force after being ratified by the 25 heads of state of the European Union by 2009. It demands that national constitutions have to be in alignment with European legislation for now European law has priority over all national constitutions.
This document comes from a "convention" of 105 representatives of governments, of national parliaments and the European Parliament, who were given the job in 2001 of preparing a plan for a simplified inter-governmental treaty for the European Union.
There was some discussion but it wasn't in public. The "convention" adopted without a vote in July 2003 a plan that former French president Valery Giscard d'Estaing had drafted by himself.
This plan was followed by some inter-governmental discussions which were as secret as they were difficult. It was slightly altered and was then proclaimed as a "constitution" even though it's more a treaty of 300 plus pages, 448 articles, 36 protocols, 2 annexes and 48 declarations. It goes into more detail than any other constitution in the world.
It is a break from the traditions of parliamentary democracy established by the democratic revolutions of the 18th and 19th centuries. That's what they want to impose on us.
This constitution is dangerous and unacceptable
To start with, it consecrates the absolute primacy of the market. It forbids by law any infringement of the rights of private property and the market.
It says in its preamble that the European Union "offers its citizens ... a single market where competition is free and not distorted." and that the "Union is solely responsible for determining the rules regarding competition and the functioning of the internal market." (Articles I-3 and I-13).
All the detailed polices in Part III are within these limitations. Also price stability and detailed budgetary planning are non-negotiable because of the place given to the Stability Pact (Article III-177) and in numerous other articles that prevent any sort of progressive economic and social policy.
Concealed behind a vague reference to "the missions of the services in the general interest", the systematic privatisation of public services and social security is made to seem inevitable in the name of "efficiency" and "quality". Big capitalist companies will see these as very lucrative areas in which to get involved.
To make it all seem less awful, the defenders of the constitution emphasise the inclusion of the Charter of Fundamental Rights adopted in 2000.
Yet the principles regarding social rights and secularism are weaker than those of the European Convention of the Rights of Man (sic) or the United Nations' Charter.
In any case, this Charter does have any means of enforcement.
The Constitution refuses to take into account the social gains which have been won in different countries by a century and a half of working class struggles.: the laws about working conditions, collective agreements, the right to strike, the right to abortion.
Confronted with cuts in welfare services there will be no raising to the standard of the countries which provide the best social security systems. There will be no international taxation (III-156).
Social inequality is at its worst for 50 years and this project guarantees that the super-rich will continue to get rich at the expense of workers, youth women, immigrants and the unemployed.
The constitution has a very anti-democratic character. Real political power stays in the hands of the governments and to a lesser degree the European Commission.
The European Central Bank is completely independent, unaccountable and doesn't have to show its accounts to anyone (Article I-30). It is unique!
The European Parliament can't be compared to a national parliament that make laws, approves a budget and selects an executive. They tell us that the Parliament will have a bit more power.
But it will need the unanimous approval of all the governments if it wants to pass legislation which would improve the social, financial or environmental situation of working people in Europe. It will only need a simple majority to approve any neo-liberal measures.
The member states of the European Union are now legally obliged to strengthen their military capacity and to work closely with NATO (Article I-41). The type of "European defence" that France, Germany and Britain are pushing forward confirms that their political desire is to be at the heart of the imperialist system linked to the United States.
Instead of the Europe of solidarity and social concern that we were promised it's a European power that is being imposed. One that is ferocious with the Third World and the immigrants pushed back at its borders.
We say "no!" to the European Constitution, "no!" to this European Union.
We say no this vision of Europe not because we want to defend our own countries. We are in favour of a Europe that is democratic, environmentalist, feminist, peace-loving and which practises solidarity. This is the Europe which is making its voice heard at the London Social Forum.
The Labour Party and social democratic parties like it across Europe could have stopped the neo-liberal attacks and come up with an alternative.
The end of the 90s was the decisive moment in the EU.
They were in government in 12 out of 15 European countries and dominated the EU's major institutions. Today, along with the Greens they want us to support the European constitution. Of course they admit that it's inadequate.
But they say it's a lesser evil and we can improve it in a decade or two.
We must not accept this fatalism. The European constitution concerns us all. Let the people of Europe decide about Europe.
We demand the holding of referendums on this in every country. Let's unite our forces to reject this constitution which is nothing but a yoke to stop all social progress for fifty year years.
Let's start another ball rolling – an anti-capitalist European mobilisation expressing our desire for democracy, social justice and international solidarity.