JURIST - Paper Chase: Italy PM says EU constitution compromise unacceptable

[JURIST] Italian Prime Minister Romano Prodi [official profile] said Tuesday that the European Union should avoid any radical changes to the draft European Constitution [JURIST news archive], telling European Parliament members that a compromise on the treaty is not an adequate solution for Europe. Prodi told MEPs that Italy will likely not agree to any compromises, and instead proposed the idea of a "two-speed" Europe [AFP report], in which some nations would not have to proceed with reforms as rapidly as others. Prodi said [EP press release] that:

We do not necessarily have to proceed all together at the same speed. Already now, some significant European projects, such as the euro and Schengen, have been implemented by only some Member States. Not "against" anybody and not to "exclude" anyone, but always keeping the door open.

Last week, German Chancellor Angela Merkel [official website] urged EU members to work together to advance the constitution [JURIST report], which has largely stalled since it failed in referendums in both France and the Netherlands in 2005. EUobserver has more.

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