Slovenian parliament ratifies Lisbon Treaty

"The document, which was endorsed in a 74-to-6 vote, is to ensure efficient operation of the enlarged European Union and strengthen its role in the world, the Slovenian news agency STA reported.

The endorsement has already been welcomed by Slovenian Prime Minister Janez Jansa, who told the MPs earlier on Tuesday that all 27 EU countries needed to ratify the treaty in order for it to enter into force.

Jansa said the treaty included the majority of the contents but not the form of its ill-fated precursor, the constitutional treaty, which was rejected at referenda in France and the Netherlands in 2005.

One of the basic points of the new document is increasing the role of deciding by a qualified majority on the back of consensus-based decision making.

The treaty also omits a direct reference to constitutionality, which caused fear among the French and Dutch that the EU was changing into a super state. No article of the treaty also mentions EU symbols, such as its flag or national anthem."

Source: Xinhua