Zowel regeringspartij als linkse oppositie in Frankrijk steunen EU-Grondwet in referendum-campagne (en)

French Prime Minister Jean-Pierre Raffarin and the leader of the socialist opposition have declared the forthcoming Constitution poll above party politics, announcing they will both fight for a yes vote.

During an RTL radio debate on Monday (6 September) the two men said their parties would campaign for a yes vote at the forthcoming referendum to ratify the EU's constitutional treaty.

Socialist leader François Hollande described the document as "a step forward" but said that France could have been "bolder" in certain areas.

With his ability to stop a splintering of opinion among mainstream socialists key to securing a yes vote, Mr Hollande is promising to consult the various factions in the Socialist Party.

Many on the left join the Gaullists and eurosceptics in opposing the text, including the smaller leftwing and Trotskyite parties.

France's last European referendum on the Maastricht treaty in 1992 saw voters split by the narrowest of margins, with 51% voting for the text and 48% against.

Mr Raffarin - who is widely unpopular - said that he would campaign "modestly but with determination".