The Constitutional Treaty: Rejection and Reflection

Abstract

Much has been written about the Constitutional Treaty and the implications of its rejection for European integration. Ostensibly the purpose of the Constitutional Treaty was to place a significantly enlarged EU on a new, reformed and consolidated footing, thus equipping it with the competences and institutions to meet key policy challenges in the early 21^st century. In terms of reforming the EU and expanding its competences the Constitutional Treaty was no more radical than most previous amending treaties. Where it did depart from its predecessors was in its political symbolism and the constitutionalization of the EU that it furthered and consolidated (Amato et al, 2007; Christiansen and Reh, 2009; Crum, 2012), and in the explicit popular legitimacy members states endeavoured to bestow on the EU through the widespread pursuit of ratification by referendum. These were radical moves by the standards of past processes of treaty reform.