LITHUANIA: Lithuania, which joined the European Union with its Baltic neighbours in May, became the first member of the bloc to ratify its controversial constitution yesterday.
"This is a brave and a bold step," said former French president Mr Valéry Giscard d'Estaing, who helped draft the document. "Thank you, men and women of Lithuania."
The constitution faced little public opposition in the former Soviet state, despite the recent election success of the Labour Party, led by a Russian-born businessman who is suspected of desiring closer ties with Moscow.
"We congratulate them wholeheartedly," said EU spokesman Mr Reijo Kemppinen in Brussels, calling Lithuania's approval of the constitution "a very positive development" after weeks of wrangling over the content of a document that boosts the power of the European Parliament and removes national vetoes in dozens of policy areas.
It is expected to get a far rougher ride in some of the seven EU member-states that plan to hold referendums on the document, including Britain.
The first referendum will be in Spain on February 27th next year, and all countries are supposed to ratify the constitution within two years of last month's signature in Rome. One No vote could sink it.
"I hope that at least one country will not ratify the constitution and will demonstrate how unwise our parliament was in forcing its adoption," said Mr Egidijus Klumbys, of the National Progress Party, which opposed approval.
"[ The] Lithuanian state will cease to exist. Our constitution will become a piece of worthless paper," he added, denouncing ratification as "the funeral of Lithuania's independence".
President Valdas Adamkus was far more bullish as he prepared to sign parliament's approval into law.
"This parliament started the process of Lithuania's integration and it has concluded it with this historic decision," he said, calling it "an important step towards strengthening the EU". If fully ratified, the constitution will give the EU a long-term president and foreign minister, streamline decision-making, eventually limit the size of the executive Commission, and overhaul the voting system.