Portugal set to have Constitution referendum in April
By Honor Mahony
Portugal is considering having a referendum on the European Constitution in April.
"I believe we will do this in April", Prime Minister Pedro Santana Lopes told the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung on Wednesday.
Join EUobserver today
Become an expert on Europe
Get instant access to all articles — and 20 years of archives. 14-day free trial.
Choose your plan
... or subscribe as a group
Already a member?
"I am sure that a stable majority will vote to ratify" the Constitution, he added.
According to AFP, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Rui Gomes da Silva later on Wednesday said that the government was aiming to hold the vote on 10 April.
Portugal is among several member states planning to hold a referendum including
the UK, France, Ireland, Denmark, Belgium, Luxembourg, Netherlands, the Czech Republic, Spain and Poland.
The document has to be passed by referendum or by parliamentary ratification by all 25 member states before it can come into force.