[autom.vertaling] Chirac sluit nu de opiniepeiling van de Grondwet voor uit (en)

EUOBSERVER / BRUSSELS - French President Jacques Chirac on Friday (17 October) appeared to rule out a referendum on the EU Constitution for the time being.

Asked about the issue at his press conference after a meeting of EU leaders in Brussels, Mr Chirac said "that is not a topical question".

He said the issue would not come up until after the new Constitution has been signed and after the "definitive entry" of the ten new member states on 1 May, 2004.

He did say, however, that he would consult the directors of the political groups in Parliament on the Constitution.

His comments after the French Prime Minister Jean-Pierre Raffarin recently called for a referendum to ratify the Constitution.

At an informal press conference on 6 October, the Prime Minister said: "A real European cannot not want a referendum".

However, the ultimate decision lies with the French President.

French citizens have already been polled on the Maastricht Treaty on economic and monetary union in 1992 - which they narrowly accepted with 50.95 percent in favour.

The Constitution will have to be ratified by all 25 member states, either via their national parliaments or via referenda, for it to come into force - at the earliest in 2006.