[autom.vertaling] De meerderheid van het Frans wil het referendum van de Grondwet (en)

Three quarters of French citizens want to have a referendum on the Constitution, according to a poll published by the French daily, Le Monde.

A BVA survey published by the paper today showed that 74% of those asked would like to see the final Constitution put to a popular vote.

This places the French government in an awkward position because voters could use the vote to punish an unpopular government rather than to answer the question before them.

Media reports have also indicated rising euroscepticism in France as the European Commission raps the government over the knuckles for repeated breaches of the rules governing the euro and its attempt to bail out Alstom, the massive engineering company.

However, 72% also said that they supported a European Constitution in principle.

France had a referendum on the Maastricht Treaty in 1992 which almost upset the whole EU apple cart. The Treaty was only just passed with 50.95 per cent of voters in favour.

In the past, both French President Jacques Chirac and French Foreign Minister Dominique de Villepin have spoken out in favour of a referendum on the Constitution.