Thursday

28th Mar 2024

Chirac to enter EU Constitution debate

  • The European Constitution is dividing French opinion (Photo: EUobserver)

With the number of French citizens saying they plan to vote against the EU Constitution on the rise, President Jacques Chirac has decided to personally enter the fray to campaign for a yes vote.

Mr Chirac's office said on Thursday that the president is to debate the EU charter on prime TV with 60 young people on 7 April at 20h50.

Read and decide

Join EUobserver today

Get the EU news that really matters

Instant access to all articles — and 20 years of archives. 14-day free trial.

... or subscribe as a group

The president's move follows pressure from the yes camp for him to intervene personally in favour of the Constitution after five consecutive polls have shown a rise in the number of people hostile to the EU Constitution in France.

Just last week, the president had said that he would address the French on the referendum "when the time comes" and explain why France had "nothing to lose and everything to win" with the Constitution.

The centre-right parties in France have welcomed the president's decision to take an active part in the "yes" campaign as many believe he could influence undecided voters to vote in favour.

Education minister François Fillon said that Mr Chirac "could carry the decision".

On the other hand, members of the Socialist Party have expressed worries that too strong an involvement by Mr Chirac may have negative consequences - particularly as some citizens want to use the referendum to show their discontent towards the government.

A mistake?

To ratify a treaty in France, the President can choose between a referendum and a vote by the Parliament. However, the country has a strong tradition of holding referendums.

Following the negative results of recent opinion polls, former minister and supporter of the EU Constitution Socialist Jack Lang, said that organising a referendum on such an issue was "a mistake".

President Chirac defended his decision last week saying that "a referendum as such is a democratic approach".

The French referendum on the EU Constitution will be held on 29 May.

A rejection of the Constitution by France - a founding member of the European Union - would be a huge political embarrassment for Mr Chirac and would plunge the Union into political crisis.

Chirac pleads for EU Constitution

French President Jacques Chirac praised the EU Constitution, warned against the consequences of a French "no", and insisted that the French should not mistake the forthcoming referendum for a "plebiscite", during a two-hour TV debate with 83 young people on Thursday.

Opinion

Why UK-EU defence and security deal may be difficult

Rather than assuming a pro-European Labour government in London will automatically open doors in Brussels, the Labour party needs to consider what it may be able to offer to incentivise EU leaders to factor the UK into their defence thinking.

Latest News

  1. Kenyan traders react angrily to proposed EU clothes ban
  2. Lawyer suing Frontex takes aim at 'antagonistic' judges
  3. Orban's Fidesz faces low-polling jitters ahead of EU election
  4. German bank freezes account of Jewish peace group
  5. EU Modernisation Fund: an open door for fossil gas in Romania
  6. 'Swiftly dial back' interest rates, ECB told
  7. Moscow's terror attack, security and Gaza
  8. Why UK-EU defence and security deal may be difficult

Stakeholders' Highlights

  1. Nordic Council of MinistersJoin the Nordic Food Systems Takeover at COP28
  2. Nordic Council of MinistersHow women and men are affected differently by climate policy
  3. Nordic Council of MinistersArtist Jessie Kleemann at Nordic pavilion during UN climate summit COP28
  4. Nordic Council of MinistersCOP28: Gathering Nordic and global experts to put food and health on the agenda
  5. Friedrich Naumann FoundationPoems of Liberty – Call for Submission “Human Rights in Inhume War”: 250€ honorary fee for selected poems
  6. World BankWorld Bank report: How to create a future where the rewards of technology benefit all levels of society?

Join EUobserver

EU news that matters

Join us