FRANCE: President Jacques Chirac faces growing pressure to put the European Union's constitution to a risky referendum in France after Prime Minister Mr Tony Blair's pledge to give Britons the final say on the charter.
With many French voters unnerved about the EU's future direction, such a referendum could produce a No vote that would hold up the constitution and spoil any hopes Mr Chirac has of a third term, analysts said.
"Chirac must be cursing Blair," said Ms Heather Grabbe of the London-based Centre for European Reform think-tank.
"This creates moral pressure on him to do the same. But a referendum would be dangerous for Chirac because it would come before the 2007 presidential election. If the French said No it could seriously harm his stature."
After Mr Blair's policy U-turn on Tuesday, Mr Chirac's centre-right government reasserted its right to decide how France will ratify a charter that will define the shape and workings of the EU after it expands to 25 states.
Foreign Minister Mr Michel Barnier said a decision on whether to use a plebiscite or parliamentary vote would be made only after a final accord on the text, expected at a June summit.
But Mr Blair's move triggered demands from France's right-wing political fringe, which opposes strong EU institutions, and from the opposition left that Paris follow suit.
"This is the first time in my life I regret not being English," said Mr Philippe de Villiers, leader of the small Eurosceptic Movement for France party, saying Mr Blair was right to call the poll.
Opposition Socialists agreed that the French will expect to have a say on a constitution text they say ignores areas such as promoting job creation and reinforcing welfare safeguards.
"In Britain, referendums are rare. In France, they are the rule. I don't see how we can deprive people of the right to have a say. It would be a denial of democracy," Socialist Mr Pierre Moscovici, a former European affairs minister, told Libération.
If Mr Chirac opts for a referendum, he can - unlike Mr Blair - count on the pro-European stance of most voters and the media. However, he will also remember that only a razor-thin majority voted to ratify Maastricht in 1992. - (Reuters)