European Union and a referendum?

In October 2003, the last in a series of IGCs (Inter-Governmental Conference) began in Rome between the representatives of all the member states of the European Union, to discuss the most ambitious and challenging proposals ever to confront Europe's national leaders.

The second and final Treaty of Rome, if agreed and ratified, would for the first time in Europe's history abolish the independent nation status of each country for absorption into a new embryo state - the European Union, or United States of Europe, as it may be called.

Each country would be bound into a federal union having a single centralised government in Brussels, under a pan- European Constitution. This is indeed a unique and unprecedented development. The final signing, delayed due to the failure of the December 2003 summit in Brussels, is now expected to be sometime this summer.

One size fits all

This long-planned change by the architects of the 'European Dream' are either exciting beyond the wildest dreams for some, or full of sinister foreboding and threat for others, depending on one's point of view! How is it possible to merge 25 disparate states each with its own separate people, language, history, political tradition and culture, into one? Can a piece of paper marked 'EU Constitution' really remove ancient national constitutions at the stroke of a pen, and plant a 'one size fits all' substitute that is permanent, irrevocable and workable?

For Christians, however, other and bigger questions arise such as: 'Can this really be God's will and purpose for our nation?' What are the biblical principles, if any, that should direct our thinking on these developments? The word 'Eurobabel' will readily spring to mind, but this may be too simplistic to describe the complex and puzzling issues which divide believers as well as crossing party political lines. Some of the issues themselves are indeed difficult to grasp, especially when couched in the technical jargon used by politicians, and must involve party politics at all levels. Nevertheless, the overall challenge to our concepts of self government, democracy, and the status of our own Constitution transcend mere party political engagement. In this respect Christians need to be particularly sensitive to the spiritual issues that are fast emerging from the EU debate.

Transfer of power

It has been pointed out that for years Britain has been standing on the brink of the abyss in relation to the EU - will acceptance of the EU constitution mean a decisive step forward, or a final betrayal of Britain? Lord Stoddart has described the challenge as the greatest to face us since the threat of military invasion and defeat in the Second World War, although not now in the form of military power, but through the more subtle and progressive transfer of democracy and power away from our democratic institutions to an un-elected bureaucracy in Brussels.

Clearly, the final outcome will be momentous for the future of the UK for generations, and will determine whether we remain a free, self-governing nation and a Parliamentary democracy. One new factor is that the EU constitution would be binding not only upon the State, but upon the people as well, and for all time.

Boring but inevitable?

In the UK the debate over these proposals after 15 months of drafting has been understandably lack-lustre and surrounded by the usual yawns of boredom on the part of a public whose interest in all things EU has never been particularly high. Like the Euro, cynics say, the constitution will 'happen anyway' and they lapse into a fatalistic torpor.

However, we now know that the 'inevitability' argument may unwittingly contain more truth than at first realised with the dramatic announcement by our Prime Minister that no national referendum on this issue will be permitted, even though it would be much more important than any promised referendum on adoption of the euro.

This news was greeted with shock by politicians and people right across the political spectrum, and this may have done much recently to awaken a lethargic public to the dangers ahead.

Referendum

Without being in any way xenophobic, it is sobering to contemplate the irony of the situation.

If finally ratified, for the first time in our history we would have imposed upon us a foreign constitution, devised by foreign politicians, to serve largely foreign interests, composed by foreign bureaucrats, signed and sealed in a foreign country (The final Treaty of Rome); with jurisdiction vested permanently in a foreign court (The European Court of Justice).

Meanwhile increased calls arise from every quarter for a national referendum before a final decision is made by Parliament. Government ministers have argued that adoption of the constitution is merely an exercise in 'tidying up' all previous treaties, and to ease administration within the EU with the accession of extra member states, but this view is treated with the derision it deserves.

Choices

What then are the choices and options that lie ahead? More than one political commentator has neatly summarised these as being basic and simple, namely the choice between self-government and European government, or put slightly differently, one of retaining our democratic right to remove governments through the ballot box.

Clearly, the case for a referendum is overwhelming, yet strangely, little discussion appears to have addressed the central issue on how the proposed EU constitution can be reconciled with our own Constitution, and that these are mutually incompatible. No nation can serve two 'constitutions'! - and the crucially important question now arises - whatever happened to the British Constitution?

Royal contract

Our own Constitution can be briefly summarised in the words of the Coronation Oath that every British Sovereign swears to uphold before God and the people, and which our present Queen repeated on her Accession in 1953. Her 'contract' with us, in return for which we give her our allegiance (including all MPs and those in public service), is that she would govern the British people according to our laws and customs. This is a reference to other parts of our (written) Constitution, namely Magna Carta, the Bill of Rights of 1689, the Act of Settlement, and the Coronation Oath Act, all of which have proved to be adequate protection of our freedoms for many centuries. The Sovereign may refuse assent to any Parliamentary Bill that conflicts with the Constitution, that diminishes the sovereignty of the people, or damages the interests of the United Kingdom. Furthermore, an essential element of our Constitution is that no Parliament can bind its successors. Can these be reconciled with the proposed EU Constitution?

For further details of national contacts and a sample petition card, send an SAE to Campaign for a Referendum on the European Constitution (CREC) (North), 32 Station Road, Poppleton, York YO26 6PY (01904 795204).