Still not getting it

Arguably, the biggest problem facing the Constitution for Europe is the lack of communication between political elites and the public. But despite the Constitution's sagging poll numbers in France, European elites seem incapable of grasping this simple truth. Take as an example EU justice commissioner Franco Frattini, who told Le Figero yesterday that a French rejection of the treaty next month would mean that the European debate would have to be re-opened. He is right, but his version of a new debate was about widening it to include national parliaments. He never mentions the public, who are the ones who really need to be asked what kind of Europe they want. Frattini's comments were condemned by Luxembourg's Prime Minister Jean-Claude Juncker, currently president of the EU, who said Frattini spoke for the Commission, not the member states. Juncker says that any additional debate about the future of Europe will be held in the Council, the most secretive EU institution, not the national parliaments — or with the public.

This failure to consider the desires of the public is nothing new. The Commission itself announced last week that over the years it has "underestimated" the importance of connecting with citizens. After the "shocking" rejection of earlier treaties at the hands of voters and the continuing decline of public trust in national and European political institutions, it seems irrational for elites to continue their decades long indifference to the the masses. Yet, they do. If the Constitution fails in France next month, I have very little faith that European elites will learn anything from the experience. The tragic thing is that really is no need to reopen the debate over Europe, just a need to get the public engaged in the one that is still going on.