EUROPEAN PEOPLE'S PARTY: EPP FAVOURS CONSTITUTION BASED ON EUROPE'S RELIGIOUS HERITAGE.

This return to the values of Christian democracy is spelt out twice in the document approved by the Congress, with a mention in its opening paragraphs of Europe's "spiritual and moral heritage" and then, in a passage dedicated to complementary competences, with a sentence specifying that "the preamble of the Constitution should refer to what Europe owes to its religious heritage". These amendments were introduced to counter the demand by Forza Italia that the Charter of Fundamental Rights should be rewritten before its integration into the Treaty. The reference to Christian Europe in any case dominated the contributions of several speakers in the portions of their speeches concerned with enlargement. "It is the image of Christian Europe that unites us. We must remember, no matter which church we belong to, what John Paul II told the Poles: Do not be afraid. Nor should we be afraid of enlargement", said EPP President Hans Gert Pottering in the European Parliament. This religious heritage opens visionary perspectives for Silvio Berlusconi, the Italian Prime Minister, who believes that "Europe should extend to Russia for, with its Christian roots, Russia is part of our whole". The integration of Turkey, on the other hand, which even though it is a lay society is still Muslim, is scarcely welcomed by the leaders of the EPP. "The first Irish No vote was a warning; let us avoid giving rise to others, for there are already many negative signals and we must not ask too much of our peoples", warned the Austrian Chancellor Wolfgang Schussel. It should be noted, however, that the Congress, in a consistent manner, approved an amendment by Moderata, the Swedish conservative party, which stipulates that "the European Union should propose an institutionalised cooperation to those States which do not wish to join immediately".

The delicate balance of the "Constitution" plan - the amendment which aimed to give preference to the term "Constitutional Treaty" was rejected - was maintained thanks to the efforts of political diplomacy brought to bear by Wilfried Martens, President of the EPP as confirmed by the Congress and by the Spanish Prime Minister, Jose Maria Aznar. A consensus was established regarding the President of the Commission, who would continue to be designated by the European Council but with a greater political component in the procedure as the nomination would be made "in the light of the results of the European elections".

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