EU’s constitution to be altered markedly, Italian premier says

Romano Prodi, kicking off his first official European tour with a stop in Austria said the 25-nation bloc will not do anything major to resurrect the constitution until after France holds presidential elections next year.

Photo: EU’s constitution to be altered markedly, Italian premier says

Prodi said it was premature to even offer a timetable for substantive discussions on the charter, which aims to boost the EU's influence by establishing an EU president and foreign minister, and he offered no details on what might be changed in a new version.

Prodi spoke to reporters after meeting with Austrian Chancellor Wolfgang Schuessel on his first stop of a three-day tour to discuss Europe's constitutional crisis and its ambitious plans for further eastward expansion, the AP reports.

He was to meet later Tuesday in Paris with French President Jacques Chirac. On Wednesday, Prodi is scheduled to meet with German Chancellor Angela Merkel in Berlin, and he joins EU leaders at a summit in Brussels, Belgium, on Thursday.