50 Years EU - Time to Celebrate?

On March 25, 1957, six countries (France, West Germany, Italy, Belgium, the Netherlands, and Luxembourg) signed the "Treaty establishing the European Economic Community (ECC)" and the "Treaty establishing the European Atomic Energy Community (EURATOM)", both better known as Treaties of Rome. Although several advances had been made before [presentation by German government, pdf], the signature of those treaties is considered to have laid the foundation stone for the European Union as it exists today. Therefore, in order to celebrate the 50th anniversary, representatives of all 27 member states gathered in Berlin for various festivities culminating in today's signature of the Berlin Declaration [text, pdf]. Unfortunately, not everything looks as bright as the festivities might suggest. This became once again apparent in the run-up to the 50th anniversary, particularly with regards to the Berlin Declaration. The final preparations for this declaration were kept secret to an extent that the Czech government felt compassed by Germany [FAZ, in German].

Interestingly, the declaration strives no longer for a European constitution, but for a "basic treaty" [FAZ, in German]. This is to avoid the recurrence of past "disasters": in 2005, voters in France and the Netherlands had rejected a proposed European Constitution - in France, at least partially, as a result of discontentment with the French government. Those rejections constituted a major setback for the further development and reorganization of the European Union. Such a reorganization would have been important for the smooth expansion of the European Union. The current goal of a "basic treaty" shall make Constitution opponents give in. If not the future of the European Union is questionable ...