The Hindu : International : Spain to vote on E.U. Constitution today

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Sunday, Feb 20, 2005

International

International

Spain to vote on E.U. Constitution today

By Vaiju Naravane

PARIS, FEB. 19. Spain expects to become the first country to ratify the European Union's historic Constitution by popular vote in a referendum on Sunday. But with opposition from nationalist parties, the vote in Spain reflects a wider climate of uncertainty across Europe.

Despite a great deal of drum-beating by the Government there is visible voter apathy and the mood is morose. The Government and the E.U. have tried every trick in the publicity book to get voters interested in the document that will, to a large extent, define the shape of the European Union in the years to come. Celebrities have been asked to read parts of the Constitution on radio and television shows, Spanish footballers have been called in to endorse the document, brandishing quotes from the Constitution around the pitch and participants in the Spanish equivalent of the Big Brother TV reality show have been roped in to discuss its salient points during prime time viewing.

Verdict not in doubt

All to no avail. The latest polls indicate that some 55 per cent of Spain's 34.6 million voters are likely to stay away from Sunday's vote. Paradoxically however, those who do go to the polls will in all probability vote yes. So a favourable verdict is not really in doubt, although the Government has said that an abstention rate of over 50 per cent should be viewed as a failure.

Even if, against all odds, a "No" vote carries the day, it would not technically affect the fate of the E.U. Constitution, since the result of the referendum is not legally binding upon the Government and can be set aside by Parliament.

It will however, be a major blow to the fate of the Constitution and might well set the trend for referenda to follow in France, Britain and the Czech Republic.

Within Spain there is no across the board agreement over the E.U. Constitution. Moderate Basque and Catalan nationalists stand firmly behind the ruling Socialist Party and the main conservative Opposition Popular Party (PP).

But the United Left, the Catalan Republican Left — which is in a coalition Government in the Catalan regional Parliament alongside mainstream Socialists — and the Galician Nationalist Party have called on their voters to reject the treaty.

Also in the no camp is former Prime Minister, Jose Maria Aznar, who believes the treaty relegates Spain to a "small" player with little influence on the E.U. stage.

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