The French and Dutch “no” to the European Constitution and the following “period of reflection” offer the opportunity to introduce critical ideas into the discussion on the future of the European Union. For the critics it is not only necessary to excoriate the Constitution, but also to propose alternatives. The authors therefore generate requirements for the contents of a new European Constitution. In a second step concrete alternatives are provided, dealing among others with a democratic way of organizing the European institutions, basic rights as well as economic and social policies. The general aim is to open the Constitution for political processes, which means to minimize the (economic) stipulations for European politics in the Constitution.
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