Merkel criticises Lisbon Treaty

Chancellor Merkel has said that the new Lisbon Treaty “has achieved some things” but that it is “obviously far from the clarity of our Basic Law, where competences are clearly defined”. She said that she would have liked to have seen greater emphasis on the Christian tradition in the Charter of Fundamental Rights.

On the whole, though, she said that she was happy with the treaty. “It will change a lot in the European Union,” she said. She said that she hoped that a conciliatory personality would be found to be the EU president, the new 2 -½-year post which replaces the old rotating presidency. [Handelsblatt, 5 December 2007]

---- An excerpt from John Laughland's Intelligence Digest. For a free e-mail subscription to the Intelligence Digest, please click here ----