PART of the cunning plan to smuggle through the EU constitution involves dropping its provocative references to the more obvious "trappings of statehood".
Yet despite the rejection of the constitution, this year May 9 was still designated as Europe Day, when (it is fondly imagined) the loyal and enthusiastic citizens of the union may feel moved to wave its flag, burst into its Ode to Joy anthem, and perhaps even greet each other with its inspirational slogan - United in diversity, citizen!.
Excluding the provisions enshrining these symbols of the union would not remove their existing status. Far more importantly, it would not affect the core legal substance of the constitution, which according to Chancellor Angela Merkel must be transferred intact into the new treaty.
Anyway, even if those provisions were taken out now, with some public show, once we were no longer paying proper attention they could easily be put back in through a minor or technical constitutional amendment.
DR D R COOPER, Maidenhead, Berkshire.
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