While much of the European Union wrung its hands over the ailing constitution, Latvia's parliament quietly ratified the charter yesterday and told its wavering fellow members, politely but firmly, to pull themselves together.
"Both the French and Dutch referendums were influenced by fear," said foreign minister Artis Pabriks after Latvia's 100-member parliament gave the treaty its overwhelming approval.
"We are free of fear. The constitution will give us more opportunities. With our Yes vote, we want to say to the rest of the European Union: 'You can learn from us.'"
Mr Pabriks urged the rest of the EU not to abandon plans to vote on the treaty, which is widely seen in Latvia as consolidating the gains of last year, when eight states from the old communist bloc helped swell the EU's ranks to 25 members.
"With our vote I would like to say that we believe in Europe," Mr Pabriks said. "We would like Europe to go forward and not backwards."
But Latvia also warned that it would not countenance amendments to a charter that French and Dutch critics say encourages employers to give jobs to lower-paid workers from new EU member states, or move their operations there en masse, to exploit labour, taxation and real estate costs that are far lower than in the West.
"We are in favour of liberal reforms in the EU," Mr Pabriks insisted. "It seems that the French want to review the text of the treaty again. It would not be acceptable for us if such elements as tax harmonisation are added. We cannot afford that in the EU. We need free hands to be able to develop."
Latvia became the fifth new EU member - after Hungary, Slovenia, Lithuania, and Slovakia - to ratify the treaty. Germany, Greece, Italy, Spain and Austria have also given their approval, mostly through parliamentary votes rather than referendums.
Poland, the largest country to join the EU last year, will join the Czech Republic, Hungary and Slovakia at a meeting next week to agree on a common stance on the constitution ahead of a June 16th-17th summit of EU leaders.
As sentiment in much of western Europe appears to sour towards EU expansion into the Balkans, Turkey and Ukraine, the new, economically vibrant members in central Europe are adamant that the big potential markets on their doorstep be brought into the fold.