French constitutional cliffhanger in view

Published: 30 March 2005 y., Wednesday
Twin opinion polls published show support for a "No" vote and rejection of the treaty is growing, at 53 and 54 percent against , the fourth and fifth negative polls in the last two weeks. Over the last six months French passion for this key measure of european integration has cooled. While the Constitution does attract cross-party support, the no camp deploys vocal opposition from far left and right, and some voices from the establishment parties. The Socialists have been all but split on the issue. Spokesman Julien Drey insists it is early days yet; "You mustn't forget that at least half of those polled said they hadn't made up their minds yet, so the results must be taken with a pinch of salt. Now the campaign is beginning". However details in the poll will worry the party leadership. It has papered over the cracks in the Socialist fortress, but the data shows the fissures are widening from the cellar to roof A big swing within the Socialist party puts the "No" camp now out in front. Too late, as the vote establishing policy is behind them, but with how much enthusiasm will every branch be campaigning? Pierre Giacometti is the boss of IPSOS polls;"For the last few weeks the left's electorate has got it into its head that the Constitution's the plan for a free-market europe, and at the same time there are background fears of social costs and economic weakness", is his analysis. If that sounds like a catch-all for the traditional French elector's desire to bloody the nose of a government when they are fed up about things, you may be right. It raises the political stakes, and makes this referendum one to watch.
Šaltinis: euronews.net
Copying, publishing, announcing any information from the News.lt portal without written permission of News.lt editorial office is prohibited.

Facebook Comments

New comment


Captcha

Associated articles

The most popular articles

New Yorkers take a dip in dumpsters

Hundreds of New Yorkers enjoy a dip in rubbish dumpsters that have been converted into swimming pools as part of the city's summer initiative. more »

Lithuania funded the reconstruction of a school in Southern Afghanistan

On 19 July, a school, which had been reconstructed with the funding from Lithuania’s Special Mission in Afghanistan, was opened in the village of Suri, the Zabul Province in the South of Afghanistan. more »

Self-employed workers to gain maternity and pension benefits under new EU law

Self-employed workers and their partners will enjoy better social protection – including the right to maternity leave for the first time – under new EU legislation that enters into force today. more »

Valuable Ansel Adams negatives found

A 45 U.S. dollar garage sale purchase turns out to be long lost Ansel Adams negatives worth 200 million dollars. more »

Boy survives three-floor fall

A Turkish toddler survives a three-floor fall from a balcony when he lands on a stack of plastic pipes. more »

Dead penguins found in Uruguay

Around 200 Magellan penguins, most of them dead, wash up on Uruguay's beaches. more »

Europeans call for more action on road safety in survey

Europeans are calling on Member States to boost their efforts to improve road safety, according to a survey published by the European Commission today. more »

Dementia patients on the rise as China’s population ages

With an increase in life expectancy in China has come an accompanying rise in dementia cases, which may leave the younger generation struggling to cope with treatment and care. more »

Turtle hospital full in Gulfport Mississippi

These baby sea turtles should be swimming in the Gulf of Mexico, but instead they are recovering at the Institute for Marine Mammal Studies in Mississippi. more »

Argentina's Siesta Hotel

Reviving the Latin American tradition of the afternoon siesta, a hotel in Argentina brings siesta to the corporate workforce. more »