Current Status on EU Constitution:
The French electorate rejected the EU Constitution in a binding referendum on 29 May 2005. Official result: 54.7% voted 'No', 45.3% voted 'Yes'. The turnout was 69.7%.
Ratification - or another referendum - not on the political agenda.
French government favours selecting parts of the EU Constitution, rather than adopting the whole text. Among President Jacques Chirac's proposals: setting up an EU President and EU Foreign Minister; moving the area of 'police and judicial cooperation in criminal matters' to the federal level (Community Pillar).
UPDATES
16 June 2006: The only reasonable solution is to give more time, said French President Jacques Chirac after the EU Summit in Brussels (15-16 June), asking instead for an improvement of the institutions within the framework of the existing treaties.
02 June 2006: A poll commissioned by Open Europe suggests that a new referendum would see the lead of the No camp increase by 2 percent in France. The poll was conducted in France and the Netherlands a year after the Referendum. (the increase is of 7 % for the Netherlands). The results for France are as follows (the Netherlands in brackets):
- Give more power to the EU: 18 % (15 %)
- Keep the current balance: 16 % (17 %)
- Take back powers from the EU: 53 % (54 %)
- Leave the EU altogether: 10 % (14 %)
- According to the same poll 74 % of French voters (75 % of Dutch) think that no parts of the Constitution should be implemented unless they are agreed in fresh referendums. See openeurope.org report.
Mid-May 2006: according to a poll published by the newspaper "Libration" (which had campaigned for the 'Yes') 98% of those who voted 'No' do not regret their decision, while 10% of those who voted 'Yes' regret it. This means that 58.1% would vote "No" today. This reflects the current feelings in France after the referendum, following the opening of negotiations with Turkey, the come-back of the Bolkestein Directive and visible attempts to implement parts of the Constitution.
05 May 2006: According to the Eurobarometer:
- 44% think their country's EU membership is "a good thing"
- 29% chose "a common constitution" when asked to choose two from six options concerning what "would be most helpful for the Future of Europe"
- 29% chose "a common constitution" when asked to choose two from six options concerning what "would strengthen your feelings about being a European citizen."
Snippets:
There have been no calls for a second referendum in France and the ratification of the Constitution is not on the agenda. Even the most ardent supporters for the 'Yes' vote are saying that the Copnstituion is dead. This political climate is expected to remain until the 2007 presidential elections.
Interior Minister Nicolas Sarkozy has suggested that Part 1 of the Constitution be adopted by parliament.