Brussels, 30/04/2004 (Agence Europe) - During his press conference on Thursday, Jacques Chirac (yesterday's EUROPE, p.6) was questioned on what would happen if one or several Member States rejected the European Constitution. The French President answered: "In theory, if the Constitution were not adopted, we would return to the Nice situation, and everyone knows that is not satisfactory (…). At the present time, mainly among our German friends, there is the idea (…) that one could perhaps, by going a little further than what is provided for in the current Convention treaty, namely referral to the European Council in this assumption (…), consider that after a certain lapse of time, for example two years, the countries that have not ratified would have to choose between ratification or leaving the Union. Which is naturally a bit of a bombshell (…) This should be negotiated in the Constitution. Personally, I am not against the idea that there should be a means of friendly pressure on the countries that refuse the Constitution, because if they do block it, all the others are being held up".