05/18/05

A majority of French voters have indicated again that they will reject the proposed EU constitution as France enters the 'official' two-week campaign before the vote on 29 May. As the official phase of campaigning began yesterday -- with a barrage of publicly funded television declarations by the main parties -- three polls suggested that the 'no' camp had edged ahead once more. Even in so politically volatile a country as France, no recent election or referendum campaign has seen such a complex series of reversals in public opinion. Support for the EU constitutional treaty has twice led in the polls, only to succumb to the vigorous -- and sometimes misleading -- campaigns conducted by treaty opponents of left and right... [editor's note: We know, of course, that the proponents of the EU are never themselves misleading, right? - TLK]


Informant: Thomas L. Knapp

http://news.independent.co.uk/europe/story.jsp?story=639325

from Independent [UK]