Polen stelt referendum over EU-grondwet uit, Portugal herziet wetgeving inzake referenda (en)

The polish president Aleksander Kwasniewski announced yesterday (21 June) the referendum on the European Constitution, due 9 October, has been suspended

Referring to the current atmosphere after the two "NO's" and the failed European Council Summit last week, Mr Kwasniewski said keeping the referendum date "is impossible".

Poland is the seventh country to suspend its referendum plans. Denmark, Portugal, Sweden, Finland, Ireland and the Czech Republic have already done so.

Portugal

The two main Portuguese political parties - Socialists and Social Democrats - as well as the Popular Party, have agreed on an amendment to the Portuguese Constitution, which allows the European Constitution - or any other future EU treaty - to be subject to a referendum.

The Portuguese Parliament is expected to endorse the amendment today (22 June).

Portugal was supposed to hold its first referendum on an EU treaty in October, but plans were changed after the failure of the latest EU Summit.

The Portuguese Constitution - as it stands today - forbids any national referenda to be called on "international treaties", effectively blocking a Portuguese referendum on the European Constitution.