Slovakia's parliament ratifies EU constitution

The Slovak parliament ratified the European Union’s constitution in a vote today, a year after the country joined the bloc.

MPs across the political spectrum voted 116-27 with four abstentions, giving strong support for the EU document and making the new EU member the eighth country to approve it.

The charter won support well beyond the 90 votes it needed to pass in the 150-member chamber.

“I’m convinced that in Slovakia, the constitution … is viewed as a needed and a good document,” Foreign Minister Eduard Kukan told deputies at the start of the session.

Prime Minister Mikulas Dzurinda, whose government led the country into the EU, said the constitution's ratification ”is in the interest of Slovakia, in the interest of Europe”.

Those who voted against the charter were from the opposition Communist Party, the ruling coalition Christian Democratic Movement and some independent lawmakers, who have opposed the charter because of fears it will create a European super-state.

Earlier in the day, Parliament Speaker Pavol Hrusovsky, who also leads the Christian Democrats, told MPs that despite his support for Slovakia’s EU membership, he planned to vote against the charter because he believes it is characterised by a “lack of democracy, lack of Christianity and lack of sincerity”.

“I’m a Christian Democrat,” he said. “While I see the lack of democracy as threatening for Europe, the lack of Christianity I consider to be destructive for Europe.”

Slovakia, a central European country of 5.4 million, joined the EU along with nine other mostly former communist countries last year.

All 25 EU member countries must approve the constitution for it to take effect. Some nations have already passed the charter in parliament, while others are holding referendums. Neighbouring Austria ratified the charter earlier today.

The constitution aims to streamline decision-making in the EU and provide the bloc with a foreign minister and a president to give it greater international clout.

Over the past few months, Slovakia has seen only a lukewarm debate on the EU charter, mostly among politicians and experts. The government also distributed about two million leaflets informing citizens about the EU constitution.