France will not support a European Union constitution at any price, President Jacques Chirac told Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi, who is leading talks on a planned EU constitution.
"For France, as for many of its partners, this agreement must not be sealed at any price," Mr Chirac's spokeswoman Ms Catherine Colonna said after the two political leaders met for half an hour during a visit in Tunisia.
At an Inter-Governmental Conference next week EU leaders will try to complete an EU constitution meant to ensure the 15 member state bloc can function after it expands eastwards to 25 member states in May and its population swells to 450 million.
"France believes that an enlarged Europe cannot allow for a bad agreement or throwing together of 15 or 25 (member states)," Ms Colonna said, adding that "Europeans need a Europe that works."
On Monday, EU foreign ministers and their colleagues of the 10 new member states will meet for their final round of talks on the charter. Italy holds the six-months rotating EU presidency.