EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT: POLITICAL LEADERS STRESS CONSTITUTION oNOT DEADo.

European Parliament President Josep Borrell kicked off the discussion about the EUs political priorities in a oback to schoolo speech on September 26. The EP President tried to dispel the sense of crisis surrounding the EU in the wake of the failure to agree a budget for 2007-13 and the rejection of the Constitution by French and Dutch voters. oThe institutions are functioning on a daily basis but the project of European integration is suffering a crisis of identity we cannot hideo, he said. In an apparent criticism of President Barroso who said in a speech last week that the EU should concentrate on economic reform in the absence of the Constitution, Mr Borrell said: oSome people think we can do without a vision of the future of Europe, that its enough to improve the functioning of the market and to press on with enlargemento.

Mr Borrell said that the ocrisiso was more profound and had to do with the political spirit and Europe. oThese are blocked and this institution must contribute to getting out of this impasseo, he said. While there was ono crisis in daily functioning of the EUo, the Union needed the improvements offered by the Constitution to the problems and challenges which the EU still faced. oWe need institutions which are properly designed so they work efficientlyo, he said.

He publicly backed an idea floated in the EP last year to invite French President Jacques Chirac and Dutch Prime Minister Jan-Peter Balkenende to speak to the Parliament to explain their plans on the Constitution.

Mr Borrells call was immediately backed by the leader of the EPs biggest group, Hans-Gert Poettering. He insisted that work in the debate on the future of Europe by building on the foundations laid by the Constitution. oThe No vote in France and the Netherlands must not be last words. We shouldnt create the impression that the constitution is no...