Spaanse beroemdheden 'verkopen' Europese Grondwet in aanloop naar referendum (en)

The Spanish government launched its EU Constitution campaign on Tuesday (4 January) ahead of a referendum on the text next month.

The campaign involves well-known pop, media and sports celebrities who will be selling the European Constitution mainly via television.

However, the task will not be easy. According to the latest polls, almost 90 per cent of Spaniards know very little about the Constitution.

The government is using different tricks to bring the complicated text closer to people.

One is to give a free copy of the Constitution to every fan attending the Real Madrid football match over the weekend, reports the Independent.

"Our aim is for the broad range of people to be better informed," explained Foreign Minister, Miguel Angel Moratinos, according to the newspaper.

The generally pro-European Spaniards will be the first citizens to vote on the EU Constitution on 20 February - the polls predict a strong 'yes' result.

So far, two countries, Lithuania and Hungary, have ratified the Constitution via their national parliaments.