Premier Verhofstadt wil een niet-bindend referendum in België (en)
Auteur: | By Richard Carter
Belgian prime minister Guy Verhofstadt today said he would like to organise a non-binding referendum on the Constitution in late-summer.
According to wire reports, Mr Verhofstadt said, "Europe is more and more part of our national politics", adding, "I want a non-binding, consultative referendum".
Under Belgian law, a referendum cannot be binding.
Mr Verhofstadt - a frontrunner to succeed Romano Prodi as President of the European Commission - said that the vote would be held within 50 days of the agreement on the final text - expected on 17 - 18 June.
He said the vote could come on the same day as the Netherlands holds a popular vote.
If confirmed, Belgium would be the eighth country to hold a referendum on the Constitution.
Ireland, the UK, Denmark, Portugal, the Netherlands, Luxembourg, Belgium and the Czech Republic have indicated that they will ratify the Constitutional text by referendum.
Spain is also expected to hold a referendum, but this has not yet been confirmed by prime minister José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero.