FRANCE: The family and followers of the late president Francois Mitterrand are divided over the European constitutional treaty, which his widow Danielle opposes and his son Gilbert supports.
Mitterrand's illegitimate daughter Mazarine has chosen to remain neutral.
France's former first lady, now 80, went on television last night to explain why she is voting No.
"This treaty institutionalises a dictatorship which we do not want," she said.
"The system that makes an economic subject of man and forgets that he is also a thinking being, which generates the greatest human misery, unemployment, pollution . . ." Mitterrand's acolytes claim to know how he would have voted. "Not only would Francois Mitterrand obviously have voted yes," Dominique Strauss-Kahn, a former socialist finance minister, told French radio yesterday.
"If Francois Mitterrand were here, there would be no debate and the Yes vote would win by a wide margin."
"I was his prime minister and his closest disciple," said Laurent Fabius, the leader of the No camp. He claimed Mitterrand would have opposed the treaty's references to Nato.
It was imprudent and presumptuous "to speak on behalf of someone who is not here," Ms Mitterrand said.
The Mitterrands' youngest son Gilbert a former deputy and a socialist mayor, is campaigning in favour of the treaty