EU constitution will not be renegotiated, declares Barroso

The EU constitution will not be renegotiated if France rejects it in a referendum later this month and a rejection would damage member states’ economies, the president of the European Commission said today.

“I do not believe that the majority of countries are ready for negotiations,” Jose Manuel Barroso told Europe-1 radio. “Frankly, it’s excluded.”

Barroso said he was in constant contact with European Union leaders over what to do if a nation rejects the constitution – as polls predict could be the case in France.

“Until now, all have told me that in the event of a ‘no’, we should pursue the process,” he said, but added: “It would not be realistic to open a re-negotiation now.”

Polls have consistently shown that France is split down the middle over how to vote in its widely watched referendum.

Surveys have also shown many French opponents believe it is possible to draft a better constitution, and hope to send the message that they want leaders to return to the drawing board.

Campaigners have not cleared up the confusion. French President Jacques Chirac has warned there was no chance the treaty could be re-negotiated if France votes against.

However, a leading opponent, the No. 2 Socialist Party official – former Prime Minister Laurent Fabius – insisted otherwise on French television over the weekend, saying a re-negotiation was possible.

In today’s Le Figaro newspaper, the former president of the European Commission, Romano Prodi, said it would be a “deceit” to believe the new constitution could be negotiated to answer the complaints of the ‘No’ camp, noting those opposed to the current document are a diverse lot.

Barroso also said that a ‘No’ vote from France would send a message of “uncertainty” to investors and be bad for economies across Europe.

“I don’t want to be over dramatic, but I want to say clearly that a ‘No’ would be negative for the French and European economy,” he said.