Franse socialisten onthouden zich van stemming EU-verdrag (en)
France's biggest opposition party - the Socialist party - has decided to abstain from a vote in February on constitutional changes eventually leading to the ratification of the EU's recently agreed Lisbon treaty.
The so-called "Versailles Congress" that will take place on 4 February will gather the country's National Assembly and Senate to vote on a revision of the French constitution, which is a pre-condition for the ratification of the Lisbon treaty.
Last week, the president of the Socialist group, Jean-Marc Ayrault, called for a Socialist boycott of the February vote, but many of the party's politicians voiced their disagreement with this position.
Consequently, an internal vote took place during the weekly meeting of the Socialists on Tuesday (15 January), where a majority of 68 deputies voted for attending the Congress but abstaining from the vote; 30 expressed their wish to vote "no" on 4 February, and eight abstained, according to French press agency AFP.
An abstention by a majority of Socialists at the Congress means the constitutional reform will still be approved and the EU treaty will still be ratified, as a three-fifths majority of the votes is needed for the reform to pass.
The Socialists have been trying to find a position which would reflect both their support for the treaty and their opposition to the means used for its ratification - they have been calling for a referendum on the issue rather than a parliamentarian ratification.
"The Socialist party has decided to ratify this project [the Lisbon treaty], which does not stop it from demanding that the French people have their say [on it]," said Mr Ayrault following the internal vote.
The Socialists will therefore table a motion on 6 February calling for a referendum, according to French daily Liberation.
Persisting disagreements
After being divided during the debates on the EU Constitutional treaty three years ago, when they split into two camps - one backing and one opposing the document, the Socialist Party now wants to avoid similar divisions and develop a single common stance on the Lisbon treaty.
But internal disagreements between the former "yes" and "no" camps seem to persist.
"Going to Versailles to abstain is using petrol for nothing," said deputy Henri Emmanuelli, one of the campaigners against the EU constitution in 2005, according to AFP.
"I will go to Versailles and I will vote 'no'," he added, insisting the Socialists should go as far as needed to obtain a referendum on the Lisbon treaty.
A majority of the former "non" camp, including deputies such as Laurent Fabius and Jean-Luc Melenchon, is expected to follow Mr Emmanuelli's position.