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French parliament tackles EU constitution
France's two chambers of parliament meet Monday in a special joint session to clear the way for a referendum on the European Union's constitution.
Meeting at the Versailles Palace outside Paris, both houses must back changes to the French constitution required for the EU treaty vote, a week after Spanish voters overwhelmingly endorsed the charter for the 25-nation bloc.
French President Jacques Chirac was expected to secure the three-fifths majority required. All major parties back the EU constitution and both houses already have passed the measure by large majorities in their respective houses, the Senate and National Assembly.
Chirac was likely to announce the date of a referendum — probably in May or June — shortly after the parliamentary vote.
For the constitution to take effect, all 25 EU countries must approve it. Three nations have already passed it in parliament, and Spain approved it in a referendum on Feb. 20.
The document is designed to streamline the EU's decision-making as the bloc expands eastward, making it more efficient and giving it global clout on a par with its economic might.
Polls indicate the French would vote in favor, but many in France are undecided or unlikely to vote, and polls suggest that the 'no' camp is gaining momentum. |
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