Merkel looks for divine intervention to save EU Constitution

THE EUROPEAN Constitution that took more than 100 politicians, hundreds of diplomats and thousands of lobbyists two years to put together looks pretty dead.

Nobody appears to know how to revive it after France and the Netherlands dealt it what looks like a fatal blow.

There have been think-ins, philosophical discussions and several conferences about how to put it back together again, but they have failed to produce any optimism.

The job of reviving it has been given to the Germans who take over the EU presidency in January — but it looks as if it will require divine intervention to succeed.

But now German Chancellor Angela Merkel seems to think that the miracle is possible and that what is needed is a reference to the Almighty in the tome.

After a meeting with her compatriot, Pope Benedict, at his summer home outside Rome this week, the former chemist believes the constitution wording should be revised to include a mention of God.

Ms Merkel’s political grouping in the European Parliament, the EPP, was largely in favour. The Poles, whose compatriot then held the seat of Peter in Rome, pushed long and hard even from their position as EU member-in-waiting.

The Irish Government did its best to ignore the issue knowing all too well just how divisive any religious issue can be, although former Taoiseach John Bruton backed the proposal.

Ms Merkel, the daughter of a Protestant pastor who chose to live behind the Iron Curtain and minister to his flock in difficult conditions, said she and the Pope discussed freedom of religion.

She told him she believed we need a European identity in the form of a constitutional treaty and it should be connected to Christianity and God.

“Christianity has forged Europe in a decisive way,” she said afterwards.

She will have support for her view once again from the Poles.

Currently, the preamble refers to Europe’s religious heritage only in general terms.

“Drawing inspiration from the cultural, religious and humanist inheritance of Europe, the values of which, still present in its heritage, have embedded within the life of society the central role of the human person and his or her inviolable and inalienable rights, and respect for law,” it says.

Part of the thinking behind the desire to ignore Christianity in the constitution was in case it appeared to be exclusive and to leave out any reference to Judaism and Islam, two other strong forces in forming western civilisation.

However, with a fifth of voters in the EU due to be Muslim inside a generation or two — even if Turkey does not become a member — it will be interesting to see if Ms Merkel’s succeeds in persuading her fellow European leaders to take the Pope’s advice.