Germany and Austria moot Europe-wide constitution referendum
HONOR MAHONY
23.04.2004 @ 10:27 CET
The fall-out from the UK decision to have a referendum on the European Constitution is continuing.
Top politicians in Germany and Austria, while speaking out against a series of national referendums, have not ruled out a Europe-wide public poll.
Speaking to German television, German finance minister Hans Eichel said he could imagine that "there would be such a referendum in the whole of Europe".
His sentiments have been backed up by Austrian Chancellor Wolfgang Schüssel who said "when we consider holding such a referendum, it should be a European vote, a Europe-wide referendum and not eight or 10 or 15 or 25 single nation ballots".
Both men spoke out against having separate referendums in each of 25 member states.
Discussion on such a possibility has been raging since UK prime minister Tony Blair made a policy U-turn earlier this week by decided to have a referendum in the UK - arguably the most ambivalent of the EU's member states.
With Mr Blair's announcement, the spotlight has shifted to France and Germany.
Recently German Chancellor Gerhard Schröder has said that a referendum is not necessary. He said he saw no difference between whether the Constitution is legitimised through parliament or by referendum.
Currently, referendums at the federal level are not permitted in Germany.
However the German liberals are also pushing for a referendum. They would like to see a bill passed allowing for the German constitution to be adapted.
The opposition Christian Democrats have remained generally against a poll. However, leader of the Christian Social Union, Edmond Stoiber, has spoken out in favour of one.
The British decision has also put tremendous pressure of France's Jacques Chirac.
The French President made an electoral pledge last year to ask the people on the Constitution but appears since to have changed his mind as he is not sure of his chances of securing a yes vote.
A vote in France on the Maastricht Treaty at the beginning of the 1990s, saw a yes just secured with 51%.
