EU:Conflicting ideas about what the European Union should do about its rejected constitution emerged yesterday in two of its larger member states, Britain and Spain.
German chancellor Angela Merkel, holder of the bloc's six-month presidency, wants to revive the treaty that was rejected by French and Dutch voters in referendums in 2005.
Britain wants a minimalist approach, suggesting that any fresh attempt should produce as simple a document as possible that could be ratified without a referendum.
"We think the best European constitution is a simple constitution," a spokesman in Tony Blair's Downing Street office said. "The result of a simple constitution would be that we would not have to hold a referendum."
The British government's aim, putting it on collision course with Dr Merkel, was for a text that could be ratified by parliament and avoid a popular vote, a senior British official said. Britain would have to put a treaty to a referendum only if it contained elements of a constitutional nature, or gave new powers to Brussels.
Spain, meanwhile, wants any deal on the constitution to be based on the charter which, despite the rejections, has been ratified by 18 other EU member states, including Spain, the country's European Affairs minister Alberto Navarro said. Full ratification must be unanimous across all member states of the union.
"Two-thirds of the member states, representing more than 270 million citizens, have already ratified the treaty," Mr Navarro said, after meeting his French counterpart Catherine Colonna.