Austria calls for Europe-wide referendum on EU constiturion

Austrian Chancellor Wolfgang Schuessel believes a continent-wide referendum on the European Union constitution could be used to resolve the impasse over the charter, according to a newspaper interview released today.

The stalemate started with the charter’s rejection in mid-2005 by French and Dutch voters. Last month, the 25 EU leaders extended by a year their “pause for reflection” on what to do next.