18/10/2004 (Agence Europe) - According to the Italian press, the Berlusconi government has chosen parliamentary ratification of the European Constitution because it hopes to be the first Member State to ratify the text, whereas a referendum would require amendment to the Italian Constitution. (At this stage, the first referendum is foreseen for 20 February in Spain). France is also in rather a hurry (mainly to avoid overlapping with the discussion on Turkey) and the referendum initially...