Airstrip One

Further Strength to the Referendum Camp - 20th January 2003, 20.56

French Foreign minister, Dominique de Villepin, has endorsed the argument for a referendum on the European Constitution, even if he does promote it on a EU basis.

"It is important to have a foundational act that would see all the peoples of Europe reunite on the same day,"

he could not bring himself to say what the outcome would be for those countries that voted "No". Would a European wide referendum be binding or would national sovereignty ensure that the refuseniks would become 'associates'? Probably, given their attitude to referenda, individual countries would have to try again and again until they achieved the required vote.