A double 'yes' to the European Constitution ; a convinced 'yes' and a responsible 'yes' : this is the hypothesis that the Robert Schuman Foundation has chosen to defend in its most recent work that has just been published. Since the French have an historical appointment with the referendum before the summer the Foundation intends to promote the progress that this text represents. The authors offer a method to read the text in order to understand better what is at stake..

A convinced 'yes' because the constitutional text is an extension of the heritage left to us by the founders of the European project. It is the fruit of the work undertaken by the European Convention comprising not only representatives from national governments and the Commission but also mostly national and Euro MP's elected directly by the citizens – an innovation in European construction. Notably it renders the objectives and values of Europe both clear and formal. By reforming the institutions and making democracy a priority the Constitution makes the Union more efficient and brings it closer to its citizens. Finally the adoption of the Constitution will enable Europe to take on its full political dimension - thereby granting it real room to manœuvre in order to move forwards on a diplomatic level and also make progress in terms of policing and legal co-operation.

A responsible 'yes' because the Treaty establishing a Constitution for Europe is the best compromise possible negotiated between the 25 partners.. It takes into account both the interests as well as the expectations of European citizens. In addition to this it does not comprise a rigid framework that would rule out or prevent political debate. By providing its Parliament with more power Europe ensures an improved representation of its citizens' interests. Finally a “no” would throw France into isolation not withstanding the regressive effects of applying ineffective legal texts that would lead to the stagnation of Europe in a great number of areas..

By this the Robert Schuman Foundation would like to make a real contribution to the public debate that precedes the referendum. This study is the ideal demonstration for those who want to understand everything about the European Constitution before they vote.