Brussels, 13/10/2003 (Agence Europe) - In an interview with The Times on Monday, Tony Blair ruled out a referendum on the European Constitution more strongly than ever. In his view, it would not be wise to allow the government to be "convulsed for months" over a referendum, all the more, he said, as the draft Constitution does not provide for fundamental change in the relationship between British and Europe. For example, the British Prime Minister states, "there is no such concept called a European army" (on Monday Der Spiegel, however, affirms that British, French and German officials are preparing a proposal together that they plan to present to the summit on 16 and 17 October in Brussels, a plan providing for the possibility for the EU to conduct medium term military operations without using Atlantic Alliance assets).
On the subject of the referendum on the European Constitution, the former French Minister for the Economy and Finance, Dominique Strauss-Kahn, said on Saturday: "Let us set an example by organising an internal referendum, the same day, common to all Socialist activists of the Union". According to a PS official, this would be "the founding act of the real European and federal Socialist Party, that we are hoping for".