Poll: France backs EU constitution

The French would approve the EU constitution if the referendum scheduled for May 29 were held today, but the numbers of those opposed are rising, a poll to be published tomorrow suggests.

The poll by the Ifop firm for the weekly newspaper Le Journal du Dimanche shows that 40% of those questioned are firmly in the “yes” camp or leaning that way while 29% are in the “no” camp or leaning toward it.

At the ballot box, that would translate to 58% support for the constitution and 42% opposition, according to Jean-Luc Parodi, of the National Foundation for Political Science, a consultant for Ifop.

The poll shows that the no camp is more mobilised but that the yes camp has larger reserves, Mr Parodi noted in an article accompanying the poll.

The March 3-4 poll shows that the solid yes camp – 23% of respondents – has slipped by two points since a previous poll a month ago, while the solid no camp - 21 % – gained some ground.

The difference is the smallest registered since Ifop started polling on the issue.

President Jacques Chirac announced the May 29 date of the referendum yesterday, allowing time for campaigning to win over the reticent.

Spain approved the EU constitution in a referendum last month. The Dutch are to vote on June 1.

Britain is yet to announce a date. For the constitution to take effect, all 25 EU countries must approve it.

The polling firm gave no margin of error for the telephone survey of 882 people eligible to vote.