The simplified treaty deprives Europe of a soul

The deal reached in Brussels on June 22nd sacrifices certain elements that the Italian ex-Minister of Foreign Affairs Renato Ruggiero considers essential to Europe. "If the election of the President of the European Council is a step forward for the establishment of a common foreign policy, abandoning the idea of the post of a Foreign Affairs Minister, rejected by the British, brought to light the contradictions at the heart of the EU. ... Abandoning as well the creation of European symbols, such as the blue flag, Beethoven's Ode to Joy proposed as a European national anthem, and the motto of 'United in Diversity', lets people believe that the European Constitution doesn't need a soul, nor symbols to support European identity."

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