European leaders sign constitution
ROME, Italy -- European leaders have signed the EU's first constitution, but their celebration of unity was marred by uncertainty over its ratification and turmoil over the European Commission.
The constitution, designed to give the union a sharper international profile and speed up decision-making, is the result of 28 months of sometimes acrimonious debate between the 25 EU governments.
The constitution must now be ratified in national parliaments.At least nine EU nations also plan to put it to a referendum, increasing chances that it may not take effect in 2007, as scheduled.
The EU leaders signed the document at the Campidoglio, a Michaelangelo-designed complex of buildings on Rome's Capitoline Hill, where the EU's six founding nations signed the original Treaty of Rome in March 1957 to set in motion the snowballing European process.
Also present at the ceremony were the leaders from Romania, Bulgaria, Turkey and Croatia -- four candidates for EU membership.
"Never in history have we seen an example of nations voluntarily deciding to exercise their sovereign powers jointly in the exclusive interest of their peoples, thus overcoming age-old impulses of rivalry and distrust," Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi said in a speech.
However, the event was overshadowed by a row over the make-up of the next EU executive that stems from misgivings about a conservative Italian nominee.
Rocco Buttiglione, the incoming EU justice commissioner, is opposed by a large segment of the 732-member European Parliament.
The conservative Catholic has raised concerns by saying he believed homosexuality is a sin and that women are better off married and at home.
EU chiefs said they would use private talks after the lavish ceremony to discuss the standoff, which has blocked the entry into office of a new EU executive.
German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder played down talk of a political crisis, saying he expected a revamped Commission would be approved within a couple of weeks.
The constitutional treaty was agreed in June after months of haggling, and EU leaders had hoped it would usher in a period of greater stability and better governance.
Once ratified by all member states, it will give the EU a long-term president of the European Council of national leaders, a first foreign minister, simpler majority decision-making on most issues, more powers for parliament and eventually a smaller commission.
But the row over the new executive has dragged the EU back to messy reality, with incoming Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso looking for concessions from member states to come up with a team acceptable to the restive parliament.
Barroso withdrew his first line-up on Wednesday to avoid a humiliating parliamentary defeat because of hostility to Buttiglione.
Given the high stakes, diplomats said they did not expect a solution on Friday and discussions would almost certainly resume at a summit in Brussels next week.
The Italian prime minister fought hard to get the constitution's signing held in Rome and his inner circle was dismayed that the commission row had spoiled the party.
Unlike the punchy U.S. Constitution, analysts say the EU version is a dense document, packed with legal jargon.
At least nine nations are set to hold national referendums on the issue, including the traditionally Eurosceptical Britain, where opinion polls show two-thirds of voters oppose the treaty.
Foreign Secretary Jack Straw said on Friday he expected the British vote to be held in early 2006. (Full story)
Rejection by any one country could yet sink the ambitious project.
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Associated Press contributed to this report.
