Chirac en Schröder voeren campagne voor EU-grondwet in Barcelona tijdens Spaans referendum (en)

French President Jacques Chirac confirmed on Wednesday (8 December) that he and German Chancellor Gerhard Schröder will travel to Barcelona in the weeks before the Spanish referendum on the Constitution, to lend their support.

The two leaders will attend a "teaching" meeting to explain the Constitution on 11 February, according to Le Monde.

The Spanish will be the first to put the Constitution to a popular vote - on 20 February.

Mr Chirac said that the Spanish would be in the "first row" of European integration and called on Spaniards to "show the way" to other countries with a "massive yes".

Opinion polls consistently show that a majority of Spanish people are in favour of the Constitution.

Confirming that he would "engage without holding back" in the campaign, the French President also said the campaign should not be "ruined by internal politics".

Mr Chirac himself is set to have a difficult time persuading the French people to vote "yes" to the Constitution as he tries to avoid the issue becoming entangled in the question of whether Turkey should become an EU member - a large section of the French population are against this.

However, his task was made simpler by the overwhelming "yes" to the Treaty that emerged during an internal referendum held by the opposition Socialists last week - this may encourage him to hold the vote as early as May next year.