Abstract
The failure to reach an agreement on the draft Constitution during the Summit of the Heads of State and Government of the European Union on the Intergovernmental Conference (Brussels, December 12-13, 2003) brought the debate on the political future of Europe to a cooling off period, which at the time of writing the Irish Presidency of the EU will attempt to resurrect. This period of reflection has caused the large Member States, particularly France, Germany as well as the UK to a certain degree, to re-emerge with the will power to move at a faster pace considering the route of a 'core Europe'. The origins of a 'core Europe' can be traced to German Foreign Minister Joshka Fischer's "Humboldt Speech" of 2000 titled, 'from Confederacy to Federation'. The purpose of this article is first, to provide an insight to current EU constitutional developments as well as the events that took place at the time Fischer's speech was delivered. Parallels can be made between the two periods that almost unconsciously encouraged the concept of a 'core Europe' to evolve. The article will then turn on an analysis of the Fischer rhetoric, looking at its concepts and principles, along with its relation to the visions on Europe's finality as proposed by President Chirac and Prime Minister Blair. The article will conclude that all political proposals on the political telos of Europe emphasise the very nature of European integration and are found on a series of compromises between diverse rhetorics.