Berlin tells Paris not to sacrifice EU constitution in election

German foreign minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier has called on French politicians to avoid upsetting the EU constitution process by using it as an issue in the country's presidential elections in April.

Germany is the current holder of the rotating six-month EU presidency and is keen to move forward on the EU constitution.

Last week Segolene Royal, the socialist candidate, said she would put a new treaty to another referendum. Nicolas Sarkozy, her conservative presidential rival, f...