A new Constitution in one week

I would like to introduce you to an entirely new process of delivering a new Constitution. It is not only the speed with which such a new Constitution may be delivered, but also an entirely different way that may be of more interest to you, especially if you are a politician. How is it possible to create a new democratic system for the future European Federation, including a new Constitution in just one week? What’s the catch?

I refer you to the Info on Consensual Presidential Democracy (tab 4) and specifically to the AI-assisted governance. After all, creating a new Constitution is precisely the area where we can use quite intelligent AI assistants. Even today, we have AI assistants such as eBrevia, from Columbia University, which uses Natural Language Processing and machine learning to extract relevant textual data from legal contracts and other documents to guide lawyers in analysis, preparing cases, due diligence etc. If we apply Moore’s law to this area, which is almost entirely driven by AI technology, then in 3 years’ time such AI Assistants will be about 10 times more efficient, specialized and more intelligent than today. Therefore, the scenario with the activity list that I present below will be entirely feasible before, say 2025.

Now imagine, that the EU decided in principle to prepare a new constitution that will pave the way for the future European Federation. But instead of spending perhaps €1bn, engaging thousands of lawyers and spending several years on endless discussions and tug-wars between various factions of the EU, it could be done in an entirely different way. Here is the process:

  1. Create a new EF Constitution project supported by an AI assistant, which will include digital data repository (to store all documents needed)
  2. Add the Lisbon Treaty and all other current EU legislation, ECJ court cases, etc.
  3. Add all international Agreements that the EU has signed, such as UN Declaration on Human Rights, and Trade Agreements (these may be the constraints on certain articles of the new constitution)
  4. Add any proposals for the new EF Constitution from academics, politicians, and independent contributors
  5. Collect all EU countries’ constitutions and all other relevant documents in a digital form
  6. Collect from each EU country a ‘wish list’ of what each country would like to see implemented in the new EF Constitution
  7. Collect from each EU country a ‘NO list’ of what each country would NOT like to see implemented in the new EF Constitution
  8. For each country collect basic statistics and its Constitutional Tribunal verdicts
  9. Create a list of ‘must haves’ in the new EF Constitution, which are not present in the Lisbon Treaty. Such a list could be initially created from the ‘wish lists’, made by the EU countries.
  10. Do not propose any future EF structure or Institutions – they will be created as needed by the AI Assistant
  11. Request a detailed transition Plan to the EF with several variants
  12. Press the button and come next day to see the first results
  13. You should receive the following output with detailed comments and justifications. There will most likely be several variants of such a Report, scored against the percentage of matched preferences or ‘wish lists’ that had been made earlier by the EU Council and individual countries:
  • The EF Constitution
  • The structure of the EU, the parliament, the Government, the Courts, Agencies, the new EF legislation, in line with the new EF Constitution
  • Inconsistencies between the wish lists from the EU as a whole and for each individual country. These will be the impossibilities of ‘have a cake and eat it’ type
  • Positive effects of the new constitution for the EF as a whole and for each country
  • Negative effects of the new constitution for the EF as a whole and for each country
  1. This will be the first draft, which will have to be reviewed
  2. The amendments will be input to the AI Assistant in the next round
  3. After a few rounds the Constitution, the EF structure, the Transition Plan, and any other requested documents for the EF as a whole and individual countries will be created

The advantage of producing the EF Constitution, electoral laws, the Transition Plan etc. lies not only in speed. The biggest value would be in the objectivity, neutrality of the decisions made, and inconsistencies found. Such inconsistencies may relate, for example, to the Universal Values of Humanity. Values, which become rights, have an associated cost of delivery. That may require the existence of certain institutions to enforce the respect for such values or responsibilities that each of us will have to take on, to make such a right real. The paramount advantage, over a similar document created by humans is that, it would be as balanced as possible. However, no sentiments and no favours will be granted to anyone. The populists will of course want to undermine it. However, the sheer volume of facts, and the degree of objectivity will be there for all to see.