Brussels, 08/04/2005 (Agence Europe) - The presidents of socialist and social democrat groups in the parliaments of nine EU member states and Bulgaria and Romania, meeting on Thursday in Brussels on the initiative of the European Parliament's socialist group chaired by Martin Schulz, have adopted a declaration to open their campaign for a “yes” vote in France's referendum on the European Constitution.
Stressing that national parliaments “were among the main actors in drawing up the text of the Constitution” (as part of the European Convention), the socialist and social democrat leaders said “we all strongly and unanimously support the European constitution. It is the key to advancing social policy in our countries. It is good for all our citizens, good for our countries and good for Europe. We have agreed to join the European Parliament Socialist Group for a meeting in Paris on 3 May to demonstrate our support for from Parliaments across Europe for the Yes campaign in France. We call on all European social democrats to play a full role in the national referendum campaigns in France, the Netherlands and elsewhere. We are committed to using the progressive new constitution for Europe to advance social policies including jobs and public services”.
MEP and Party of European Socialists President Poul Nyrup Rasmussen said during the meeting to “those who want to say no to the Constitution in order to punish Chirac, think again”. Mr Rasmussen, who is also a former Prime Minister of Denmark (a country that has seen a number of upsets in European referenda), also said “this isn't Chirac's treaty, it's our treaty. The old, Nice treaty is Chirac's treaty. A 'yes' to the Constitution is a 'no' to the Nice Treaty. It's a way of saying out with the old and in with the new…”
Daniel Cohn-Bendit, co-president of the Greens/EFA plans to travel all over France from 7 April to 25 May, taking part in events in around 15 cities, including Paris; Strasbourg, Mulhouse, Lille, Nantes, Lyons and Montpellier. The German green will also make around 12 French Radio and Television appearances. (See also our other article).