March 8, 2007: When German chancellor Angela Merkel's stint as President of the European Union's six month rotating Presidency began in January, she made clear that reviving the stalled EU constitution would be a high priority for her government. Today's EU summit in Brussels is the first opportunity for Merkel to outline her agenda to other EU members.

In an interview with British journalists, Germany's ambassador in London, Wolfgang Ischinger, hinted at possible agenda items on today's summit. Ischinger indicated that Germany would support an end to the rotating six month EU Presidency, replacing it with a "professional, professional presidency". He also mentioned the need for joint EU foreign policy with a EU foreign minister speaking for the entire EU: "Why can't we get our act together and have a European foreign minister who can travel to Malaysia or Washington or some other country and say this is what the EU believes?"

Neither of these ideas is new. They were both part of the proprosed EU constitution that was rejected by French and Dutch voters in 2005. So how will EU members approve them as part of a constitution that was already rejected? In an interview with the German daily "Die Welt", Belgian prime minister Guy Verhofstadt wondered why so much emphasis is placed on the two countries that have rejected the constitution: "It is a problem that everyone looks at the countries that have rejected the constitution or not ratified it yet. But no one talks about the two thirds majority of [EU] countries that have already accepted the constitutional treaty" (March 6, 2007).

Despite the fact that is the French and Dutch who have rejected the constitution, Verhofstadt singled out the British for some unusually blunt comments on Europe's future: "If the British government were to block the new attempt at unity on the constitutional treaty, then the European Union must proceed without Great Britain. It won't work if one country thwarts a union that is growing ever larger." Although Verhofstadt indicated that he would regret having a "two-speed Europe", he emphasized the desire of those EU members who want greater integration: "We can't talk about European integreation by always looking at the slowest EU member. We also don't have to have the fastest member as our orientation, but it should at least be those members who want to advance." Verhofstadt sees a European Union of the willing that would be open to any EU member desiring to participate. Verhofstadt also called for a direct EU tax and the establishment of a European army with an intitial contingent of 100,000 soldiers, ideas that are not likely to enhance the constitutional issue.

Verhofstadt's idea of a European Union with individual members deciding how much integration they want would appeal to British Conservative Party leader David Cameron. In a speech in Brussels two days ago, Cameron voiced interest in a "flexible" Europe in which member states can choose to opt in or out of EU projects.