Germany's highest court has said "yes" to the Lisbon Treaty, a piece of legislation aimed at bringing EU member states even closer together. Although the decision delays ratification, German commentators argue the conditions imposed could reduce Europe's democratic deficiencies. On Tuesday, Germany's highest court ruled on the constitutionality of the Lisbon Treaty, an agreement aimed at streamlining various functions of the European Union. So far 23 out of 27 countries have ratified the treaty which would give the EU a full-time president, a foreign minister and a diplomatic service. The majority of EU leaders hope to see the treaty go into effect by Jan. 1, 2010.The German constitution and the Lisbon Treaty: Germany's parliament will soon have a far greater say in the decisions the country's chancellor and ministers make in Brussels. The court ruled that, yes, the Lisbon Treaty is basically compatible with German law and therefore can eventually be ratified. But before it can be, further legislation must be introduced in Germany that would strengthen the national parliament's involvement in any major decision-making in Brussels. The treaty's opponents in Germany, a political minority, claimed that the Lisbon Treaty was undemocratic, that it would strip too much power from the individual EU member states and claimed that, at its core, it is just a repackaged version of the defunct European constitution rejected by French and Dutch voters in 2005.
Germany's highest court has said "yes" to the Lisbon Treaty, a piece of legislation aimed at bringing EU member states even closer together. Although the decision delays ratification, German commentators argue the conditions imposed could reduce Europe's democratic deficiencies.
On Tuesday, Germany's highest court ruled on the constitutionality of the Lisbon Treaty, an agreement aimed at streamlining various functions of the European Union. So far 23 out of 27 countries have ratified the treaty which would give the EU a full-time president, a foreign minister and a diplomatic service. The majority of EU leaders hope to see the treaty go into effect by Jan. 1, 2010.
The German constitution and the Lisbon Treaty: Germany's parliament will soon have a far greater say in the decisions the country's chancellor and ministers make in Brussels. The court ruled that, yes, the Lisbon Treaty is basically compatible with German law and therefore can eventually be ratified. But before it can be, further legislation must be introduced in Germany that would strengthen the national parliament's involvement in any major decision-making in Brussels.
The treaty's opponents in Germany, a political minority, claimed that the Lisbon Treaty was undemocratic, that it would strip too much power from the individual EU member states and claimed that, at its core, it is just a repackaged version of the defunct European constitution rejected by French and Dutch voters in 2005.
Yesterday, Germany's highest court rendered a decision as to the constitutionality of the Lisbon Treaty, and news reports responded, as the today's Salon so aptly documented, a veritable psychedelic lightshow of metaphors:
EUOBSERVER / BRUSSELS - German MPs are under pressure to get an accompanying law strengthening the role of both houses of parliament in EU decision-making wrapped up before general elections at the end of September. The tight time frame follows a ruling by the country's constitutional court on Tuesday (30 June) in which it said the proposed Lisbon Treaty is in conformity with the German constitution but its ratification may only be completed once parliamentary oversight is boosted. An extraordinary session of the Bundestag has been called for 26 August Berlin is aiming to get the process fully wrapped up with the law in place before Ireland votes for a second time on the Lisbon Treaty, expected to be on 2 October, and before the German parliament is dissolved for the general elections on 27 September. An extraordinary session of the parliament has been called for 26 August where MPs are supposed to have the first reading of the new draft law. The second and third reading is expected to take place on 8 September while the upper house (Bundesrat) is to approve the law on 18 September.
EUOBSERVER / BRUSSELS - German MPs are under pressure to get an accompanying law strengthening the role of both houses of parliament in EU decision-making wrapped up before general elections at the end of September.
The tight time frame follows a ruling by the country's constitutional court on Tuesday (30 June) in which it said the proposed Lisbon Treaty is in conformity with the German constitution but its ratification may only be completed once parliamentary oversight is boosted.
An extraordinary session of the Bundestag has been called for 26 August
Berlin is aiming to get the process fully wrapped up with the law in place before Ireland votes for a second time on the Lisbon Treaty, expected to be on 2 October, and before the German parliament is dissolved for the general elections on 27 September.
An extraordinary session of the parliament has been called for 26 August where MPs are supposed to have the first reading of the new draft law. The second and third reading is expected to take place on 8 September while the upper house (Bundesrat) is to approve the law on 18 September.
