World News France says no to EU constitution

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PARIS (AP) - French voters rejected the European Union's first constitution May 29.

With votes counted in all of France and its overseas territories, the "no" camp had 54.87 percent, with only 45.13 percent voting "yes."

The treaty's rejection in France - the architect of the European project - could set the continent's plans back by years and amounts to a personal humiliation for President Jacques Chirac.

Although Chirac argued that the constitution would streamline EU decision-making and make the bloc more accessible to its 450 million citizens, opponents feared it would strip France of its sovereignty and generous social system and trigger an influx of cheap labor.

All 25 EU members must ratify the text for it to take effect as planned by Nov. 1, 2006. Nine already have done so: Austria, Hungary, Italy, Germany, Greece, Lithuania, Slovakia, Slovenia and Spain.

But on June 1 Dutch voters, worried about social benefits and immigration, overwhelmingly rejected the constitution 62 percent to 38 percent.

Meanwhile, in France, Prime Minister Jean-Pierre Raffarin resigned and was replaced by Interior Minister Dominique de Villepin.

フランス、EU憲法にNO

EU（欧州連合）憲法の賛否を問うフランスの国民投票が29日行なわれ、反対が55%あまりに達し、批准が否決された。

Shukan ST: June 10, 2005

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