Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
05PARIS1300
2005-03-01 15:22:00
UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY
Embassy Paris
Cable title:  

VERSAILLES CONGRESS APPROVES AMENDMENTS, EU

Tags:  PGOV SOCI PREL FR 
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UNCLAS PARIS 001300 

SIPDIS

SENSITIVE

DEPT ALSO FOR EUR/WE, DRL/IL AND INR/EUC
DEPT OF LABOR FOR ILAB
DEPT OF COMMERCE FOR ITA
SENSITIVE BUT UNCLASSIFIED. NOT FOR INTERNET DISTRIBUTION.

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PGOV SOCI PREL FR
SUBJECT: VERSAILLES CONGRESS APPROVES AMENDMENTS, EU
REFERENDUM NEXT ON THE AGENDA

REF: A. REF A: PARIS 278

B. REF B: PARIS 1264

UNCLAS PARIS 001300

SIPDIS

SENSITIVE

DEPT ALSO FOR EUR/WE, DRL/IL AND INR/EUC
DEPT OF LABOR FOR ILAB
DEPT OF COMMERCE FOR ITA
SENSITIVE BUT UNCLASSIFIED. NOT FOR INTERNET DISTRIBUTION.

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PGOV SOCI PREL FR
SUBJECT: VERSAILLES CONGRESS APPROVES AMENDMENTS, EU
REFERENDUM NEXT ON THE AGENDA

REF: A. REF A: PARIS 278

B. REF B: PARIS 1264


1. (SBU) SUMMARY: President Chirac is expected to set a date
for the referendum on the EU Constitution before the end of
this week, following approval of EU-related amendments to the
French Constitution at a specially convened Congress in
Versailles yesterday, February 28. Chirac's next -- and
perhaps more difficult -- challenge will be to keep popular
discontent from adversely affecting the referendum on the EU
Constitution, expected to be held in May or June. The French
public has a history of using referendum votes "to send
politicians a message," although polls suggest the proposed
EU Constitution would be approved if the referendum were held
today. END SUMMARY.


2. (U) At yesterday's joint session in Versailles, National
Assembly deputies and senators voted to approve the several
amendments (ref A) to the French Constitution to make its
provisions consistent with those of the proposed EU
Constitution. The amendments passed by a 730-66 vote margin,
with 96 abstentions. Only the Communists voted against the
amendments, and the abstentionists were mostly Socialists who
oppose the EU Constitution but preferred not to vote against
their party's pro-EU position. President Chirac will now
consult with political party leaders, before announcing later
this week the date for the referendum. The referendum is
expected to be held sometime between mid-May and early June.
French lawmakers also approved yesterday the so-called
Environment Charter, a pet project of President Chirac, which
enshrines environmental rights in the French constitution.
The Charter passed by a 531 to 23 margin, with 111
abstentions coming largely from the Socialists.


3. (U) A February 25-26 poll sponsored by the center-left
daily "Liberation," revealed relatively strong support for
the EU Constitution, with 60 percent of those polled saying
they planned to vote in favor of the constitution. Forty
percent were opposed. Earlier in February, the same poll
showed 61 percent supported the constitution, but this was
down from a 69 percent peak in October of last year. Another
poll, conducted for the daily newspaper "Le Parisien" showed
similar results, with 63 percent of those polled approving
the EU Constitution, up from 60 percent in the last poll.
Observers caution that the 1992 Maastricht Treaty enjoyed
roughly the same level of support early in the campaign, only
to be passed by a narrow 51-49 percent margin on referendum
day. The "Parisien" poll also revealed that 59 percent of
voters will likely not participate on referendum day, up five
points from the prior poll.


4. (SBU) COMMENT: The French public has a history of using
referendum votes as a means of expressing their discontent
with the government. The public continues to be preoccupied
by the stubbornly high unemployment rate; figures released
last week showed that unemployment in January reached the
psychologically important 10 percent level. The Gaymard
affair (reftel B) -- with its housing extravagances at public
expense and lies about personal wealth -- has reinforced the
long-standing public perception that France's governing elite
accords itself privileges unthinkable for ordinary people.
Public sector unions, for their part, are unhappy about on
going reforms of the pension, health care and education
systems. They also oppose government plans to loosen 35 hour
work-week rules for private sector employees, and to
partially privatize the utility giants EDF and GDF, as well
as the nuclear conglomerate Areva. France's pro-EU
politicians fear that low overall voter turn-out on
referendum day could give the "sanction voters" and anti-EU
forces just enough of an edge to carry the day -- and toss an
unexpected wrench in the works of EU integration. END
COMMENT.
Leach