Franse anti-Grondwet campagne start deze herfst (en)

The campaign for a "no" vote in the French referendum on the Constitution will be launched in the Autumn, according to eurosceptic MEP Philippe de Villiers.

Mr de Villiers, whose party - the Mouvement pour la France (MPF) - forms part of the eurosceptic Independence and Democracy group in the European Parliament said that MEPs from this group would work together to push for a "no" vote.

"We will together form a European co-ordination for a 'no' to the Constitution on 11 September", said Mr de Villiers yesterday in Strasbourg, according to AFP.

And he expects other parties to join the campaign for a 'no', saying, "we will salute and encourage the efforts of those who have very different points of view but who want to vote 'no' to this Constitution. I am especially thinking of the voters in the UMP [Jacques Chirac's ruling centre-right party]".

The slogan of the campaign will be "France, I cherish your 'no'" (France, je chéris ton 'non').

"We want to give everyone the right to love their country and remain sovereign", concluded Mr de Villiers.

Opinion polls in France currently point to a 'yes' vote, but the voters in France have a history of making close decisions on Europe.

The referendum on whether to ratify the treaty of Maastricht - which began the process of monetary union that led to the euro - was passed by the narrowest of margins (51-49).

Furthermore, voters sometimes use the opportunity of a referendum to punish an unpopular government for other issues and the government is currently very unpopular in France, having suffered heavy defeats in recent local and European elections.