Chirac ‘Oui’ to referendum

Date: 15/07/04

FRENCH President Jacques Chirac used the traditional Bastille Day speech yesterday (14 July) to announce that the country's citizens would vote on the EU's proposed constitution in the second half of 2005. Said Chirac: "In the years to come, all the countries will have to ratify it. The French are directly concerned and therefore will be directly consulted. There will be a referendum."

France is the ninth of the EU's 25 countries to announce that it will put the constitution to a people's vote.

France will hold a referendum on the European Constitution in the second half of 2005.