牽手和分手來自同一雙手

European heads of government have been vying with each other to devise new ways of serving up the EU Constitution to the peoples of Europe for approval. 

But all the proposals seem to have one thing in common - that they will not work, for legal or political reasons.

There are two reasons why the leaders think a successful recipe is urgently needed.

First, after the march of the Constitutional Treaty was stopped by the "No" votes in France and the Netherlands, the EU lacks an agreed set of rules for taking in any of the other candidates who want to join the club.

Second, Europe's leaders fear the lack of direction may lead the Union to unravel. 

Road map

The European Commission, the official guardian of the EU's treaties, has shelved the idea of enacting a European Constitution for now.

Commission President, Jose Manuel Barroso, acknowledged last September: "In the foreseeable future we will not have a constitution. That's obvious."

However, Mr Barroso is to present a "road map" for the Future of Europe debate at a regular EU summit in June, when EU leaders meet under Austria's chairmanship to decide whether to try again, and if so how.

Austria's Chancellor Wolfgang Schuessel has not promised any concrete plan, only the "impulse" for a later debate.

As of now, the consensus view among European leaders can be summed up like this - that without a sweeping new set of rules the EU is liable to grow sicker and weaker. 

ref:]http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/4733750.stm