Vastagh, Pál (PSE), (HU) Mr President, ladies and gentlemen, as a Member from a newly acceding country, I urge you to accept the Constitutional Agreement before the European elections. Primarily because this constitutional agreement would establish a model that is equally attractive to the existing and the new Member States alike. In fact, by recognising this, a number of countries wanted to hold the European election jointly with the national elections in respect of the constitutional agreement.

The values and objectives stated in the Constitution will extend and strengthen the foundations of the European social model. Equal rights, as a core value, had been placed, for the first time, in this document, alongside freedom, democracy and the principles of a constitutional state. The aim to achieve a high level of employment is replaced by the plan to achieve full employment. The establishment of peace and security is coupled with the fight against poverty and the protection of human rights. On that basis, a vision is outlined of a new Europe with greater welfare and solidarity. The inclusion of the charter of fundamental rights will further enrich the European catalogue of human rights. We Hungarians are delighted that as a result of our efforts the rights of minorities will be included in the Constitution. On the basis of the Constitutional Agreement, the European Union will operate on a more democratic basis and its activities will be more transparent. The importance of the European Parliament and the role of national parliaments will further increase. Ongoing dialogue with civil organisations, churches and religious institutions will be opened. The Constitution will provide an opportunity for direct civil initiatives too. The legal foundations and forms of cooperation for the struggle against international organised crime and terrorism will be expanded and strengthened.

Ladies and gentlemen, people everywhere expect the European Union to make their life easier and better. Discussions on institutional reforms often seem quite complex for the citizens. These issues cannot make the democratic constitutionalisation process fail. I greatly appreciate the effective work of the Irish Presidency, and I trust that with the support of European public opinion and as a result of the efforts of the European Parliament, we shall successfully complete the second phase of the constitutionalisation process.