Chirac verdedigt Europese Grondwet in tv-debat (en)

EUOBSERVER / BRUSSELS - French President Jacques Chirac praised the EU Constitution, warned against the consequences of a French "no", and insisted that the French should not mistake the forthcoming referendum for a "plebiscite", during a two-hour TV debate with 83 young people on Thursday (14 April).

This debate, shown live on national TV channel TF1, was Mr Chirac's "official" entry in the national campaign in favour of the EU Constitution, ahead of the national referendum on 29 May.

It was opened with questions on the Treaty itself. Visibly calm, Mr Chirac seemed to have all the answers.

He explained that the Constitution was needed to fight against "ultra-liberalism" and to make Europe stronger against the "big powers".

"Europe has to be organised" in order to be more "humanist", more competitive and stronger, according to the President. And the rules that Europe needs in order to get more organised are called the European Constitution, he said.

Furthermore, the French President insisted that the EU Constitution affirmed "our fundamental values", and that they will form "the basis of all European policies from now on".

A mixed debate

Asked questions on Turkish membership, the services directive, and the future of national public services, Mr Chirac said he did not understand why all kinds of issues had become mixed up with the debates on the Constitution.

"Every time that something goes wrong, no one questions if it has anything to do with the Constitution", but blames it, the President said.

The process of accepting Turkey within the EU will not be stopped if the Constitution is rejected, both questions are not related, he specified.

The public services remain national issues, and the services directive was "just a bad directive" which the France judged "unacceptable", and which will now be changed. Again, it had nothing to do with the Constitution, Mr Chirac stressed.

France has its problems, and has to resolve them. It is not the Constitution that will "resolve them for us", he added.

Not dramatising the consequences of a `no', however_

He was also questioned on the consequences of a possible rejection of the Constitution by the French, as 13 recent polls have shown a rise in hostility towards the document in France.

Saying he did not want to "dramatise", the President named two main consequences: "The construction of Europe will be stopped, as the argument that we can re-negotiate the previous treaty is not a serious one".

Moreover, "France will be considerably weakened. Only our political power allows us to defend our interests today. We would not count tomorrow if we said `no'".

Mr Chirac expressed concerns that as "24 other countries will probably vote `yes'", France will be the "'black sheep' to say `no'".

Referendum is not plebiscite

But the President rejected speculations that he may resign if the French reject the Constitution, following the example of one of his predecessors, General De Gaulle. The General resigned in 1969 after defeat in a referendum on governmental reforms.

"Unfortunately, the General transformed the referendum to a plebiscite in a certain way. This is still our default today", Mr Chirac said.

"The question here is not who will govern tomorrow", but should we adopt the Constitution, he added.

Questioned if he regretted his choice of a referendum to ratify the Treaty, Mr Chirac said that "of course, it would have been easier if I had chosen the Parliamentarian vote" as a means to do so.

However, he added he had "a fundamental reason" to choose the referendum, as he felt that "the questions to be asked were too serious and important".

Replying to critics

Mr Chirac's TV address had been criticised lately by French media, and by political opponents, for being "stage-managed". The lack of serious political interlocutors had also been disapproved.

Mr Chirac replied that a political debate "between initiates", with everybody simply "affirming his truth", did not seem "very convincing" to him, as such debates were not opportunities for a dialogue.

"I want to address all the French through these young people", the President said.

"The Constitution is about what will happen in 15-20 years, and that concerns them", he added.

The French President's interlocutors were between 18 and 30 years old.

The young people in France are said to be the least hostile to the Constitution.