Irish set to keep faith over God’s inclusion in the EU constitution

By Martin Banks

Date: 20/11/03

THE incoming Irish presidency of the EU could be on a collision course with some member states over the issue of whether the Union's constitution should include a reference to Christianity.

There is fierce resistance to such a move in some quarters, but Irish President Mary McAleese said Dublin would continue to press the intergovernmental conference (ICG) for God's inclusion in the constitution. While Italy is hoping the IGC will finalize the constitution next month, there is a possibility its deliberations could continue under the Irish presidency, which begins in January.

Addressing MEPs in Strasbourg yesterday (19 November), McAleese declared: "The draft text produced by the Convention is a huge step forward, but a number of questions remain to be fully debated and resolved, including the issue of a reference to God in the preamble to the new treaty. The Irish government has indicated that it would welcome such an inclusion if consensus can be reached on suitable language."

The Ulsterwoman said that the top item on the agenda for the Irish presidency will be the accession of the ten mostly former communist countries due to join the Union in May 2004.

"But, of course, the enlargement process does not conclude on 1 May," she said. "During our presidency, accession talks with Bulgaria and Romania will be pursued and the Irish presidency will also monitor developments with Turkey in advance of the key decision on opening negotiations to be taken in December next year."

She told deputies that Ireland's presidency occurred at a time of "deep global insecurity" but said her country could use its historic ties with America to the EU's advantage.

Referring to foreign policy matters ranging from the war against terrorism to the struggle against poverty, she said: "There is a variety of means by which we will continue to address these and other issues, including the power of our own particular history which makes us a specially effective bridge to the US, home to so many Irish emigrants. Ireland is also a special bridge to the developing countries, adopted homelands for thousands of Irish nurses, doctors, teachers and missionaries."

As well as tackling "unacceptably" low levels of development aid, she said the Irish presidency would seek to advance the "Lisbon agenda" of turning the Union into the world's top economic player.

Ireland takes over the six-month rotating Presidency of the European Union on 1 January 2003 and if the draft European Constitution is not finalised at the Intergovernmental Conference (IGC) on 12-13 December 2003 the Irish Presidency will continue to press the IGC for a reference to Christianity in the Constitution.