Mr President, Mr President-in-Office, Mr President of the Commission, a year and a half ago, when the Convention’s work started, few were convinced that a dream could actually come true; few believed that Europe could, as is now happening, build itself an institutional structure that could enable it to take on ever greater responsibilities on the international stage. Those few have now become the vast majority. This excellent result – which your government, Mr President-in-Office, so strongly desired – marks the beginning of a presidency packed with more undertakings and more hopes than any other in recent years. Italy, a founding country, was given a mandate by the countries of the Union at Thessaloniki to carry the work of the Convention through to its conclusion. That is not all. Europe has chosen Rome to be the venue for the signing of the first Constitution: this is a political result of great significance, an historic act of recognition for Italy and for its freely elected government. This recognition will encourage and support it in its work over the coming months, Mr President-in-Office – work which I am certain will enable us to achieve the objectives you have set out in this House. The text we approved at the conclusion of the Convention’s work certainly leaves room for improvement but, as you said, it represents a fundamental working basis that cannot be misinterpreted. Your programme, which we in the European People’s Party endorse, is mapping out for tomorrow a reunified Europe, which is an ally of the United States but is capable of shouldering responsibilities that until now it has been unable to take on. In defining a balanced system of Council, Commission and Parliament – we in this House acknowledge, Mr President-in-Office, that you have underlined the importance of the role that the European Parliament plays and will continue to play in the IGC – and in designating a President of the Council and a Minister for Foreign Affairs, the new Treaty will provide an answer to the question ‘Where is Mr Europe?’, which anyone looking for clear interlocutors in our continent might ask. The demise of the principle of unanimity is the other option that will enable us to overcome obstacles that have all too often blocked European initiatives. Let us hope, therefore, that the Intergovernmental Conference will increase the number of subjects which can be decided upon by majority voting. The Constitution is, however, merely an instrument: its provisions cannot produce an effect if the political will is lacking. Mr President-in-Office, your speech clearly showed Italy’s decision to give great weight to the Union’s actions abroad. If we so desire, Europe – with its attention turned towards the east and also the south – can play a leading role in promoting peace, progress, security, development and social justice, not least for the weak and those with disabilities, as you mentioned. A Constitution and political will alone, however, are not enough to make reality the project of the likes of Konrad Adenauer, Robert Schuman, Alcide De Gasperi, Jean Monnet, Gaetano Martino and Altiero Spinelli. Europe will not succeed if it cannot speak to the hearts of its citizens. Europe will be the Europe of values: it is in values that our origins are rooted. I hope that the IGC will want to include an explicit reference to our Judaeo-Christian roots in the preamble to the secular Constitution of our Europe because, if we lose sight of our origins, we shall not succeed in treading new paths or looking towards those new horizons that tomorrow’s Europe must reach. (Applause)

Political group: PPE-DE