[JURIST] Luxembourg Prime Minister Jean-Claude Juncker [official profile], whose country held the EU presidency when France and the Netherlands [JURIST reports] voted against the European constitution, said Thursday that Germany's push to ratify the European Constitution [official website, text; JURIST news archive] will not be easy. German Chancellor Angela Merkel has repeatedly pledged to revive the constitution [JURIST report] when Germany assumes the EU presidency in January. Juncker noted, however, that French and Dutch elections will take place a few weeks before Germany's six-month term ends, leaving little time to ratify the constitution.

At next month's European Council summit, EU officials are expected to extend the ongoing "period of reflection" on the constitution through mid-2007. Earlier this week, European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso [official website] suggested that the constitution should not be reconsidered until 2008 [AFP report]. EU Politix has more.