Brussels, 29/04/2004 (Agence Europe) - In a press conference on Thursday on Europe, Jacques Chirac affirmed that on the subject of a referendum in France on a European Constitution, "there are two procedures in France for ratifying a treaty, the parliamentary procedure and the procedure for a referendum…both have been used in the past for ratification of European treaties…I therefore consider it premature to decide on one or other of the options..Firstly, it is necessary to conclude negotiations". Chirac thinks that an agreement on the draft constitution for the summit on 17-18 June is "today both necessary and possible". According to a recent poll, 74% of French people want a referendum on the constitution and 57% say they would vote yes. In an interview on Thursday, the former president of the European Commission Jacques Delors asked whether this would not be Russian roulette, "Ratification of a treaty by parliament is not qualitatively inferior to ratification by a referendum. But I am a pro-European who prefers the first formula, we are being accused of being afraid of public opinion". Luxembourg will ratify the constitution by referendum , Jean Claude Juncker confirmed in the German magazine Capital. While admitting that this included risks, the Luxembourg prime minister thinks that a referendum is essential as in the long term the European constitution could not exist without the approval of it citizens. In an interview with French television LCI, Romano Prodi admitted that he was worried about the British referendum on the constitution. He said that he was pessimistic as the results from polls were negative.
Visiting Berlin, José Luis Rodriguez Zapatero said on Wednesday to the press that he thought that an agreement on a formula on the voting system at the Council was within tangible reach. He also declared that he wanted Spain to be at the heart of Europe (in terms used by Tony Blair) and to work closely with the driving forces of Europe. Chancellor Schröder said that trialateral meetings between Berlin, Paris and Madrid (like those with London) would be possible if needed.