Leaders Sign EU's First Constitution

Mavi Boncuk |
Leaders Sign EU's First Constitution

Friday October 29, 2004 7:46 PM

ROME (AP) -European Union leaders on Friday signed the EU's first constitution, an ambitious charter that aims to raise the union's profile on the world stage. But they grappled with a leadership crisis over the nominee for justice minister, who called homosexuality is a sin and said women belong at home.

The fruit of 28 months of acrimonious debate between EU governments, the treaty must be approved by the national parliaments of the 25 EU nations. At least nine EU nations plan to put it to a referendum starting with Spain on Feb. 20. A single ``no'' will stop the constitution in its tracks.

The leaders signed the constitution at the spectacular Campidoglio, a Michelangelo-designed complex of Renaissance buildings on Rome's Capitoline Hill, along with the leaders of Romania, Bulgaria, Turkey and Croatia - four EU candidates.