Brussels, 03/09/2012 (Agence Europe) - On Sunday 2 September during the “Tous politiques” programme France Inter/AFP/Le Monde, France's Prime Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault dismissed the idea (carried mainly by the Far Left) of holding a referendum on the treaty on stability, coordination and governance within the Economic and Monetary Union. In his view, the text endorsed early March by EU leaders (see EUROPE 19566 and 10542) does not imply “transfer of sovereignty”. It is therefore logical, according to the French prime minister, that the national parliament should give its stance on the matter. Several elected members of the left wing of the Socialist Party (France) said they wanted to vote against the new EU budgetary treaty, which is to be examined by the French parliament early October. “If one wants François Hollande to be strong when he goes back to speak with our partners, then we must give him strength. The slightest parliamentary weakness, which would consist of not giving him a broad majority, would weaken the very interests of France”, Ayrault warned.
In August, the French constitutional court had said that the country's constitution did not need to be amended to integrate the budgetary pact into the national body of law (see EUROPE 10675). (LC/transl.jl)