EU urged to reflect after French vote

LONDON - British Foreign Minister Jack Straw says France's rejection of the European Union constitution raises profound questions about the future of the bloc and should be followed by a period of reflection.

Straw said Britain, which takes over the EU's rotating presidency in July, would respect the result of the French referendum but declined to say whether London still planned to hold its own referendum on the constitution next year.

France overwhelmingly rejected the EU constitution in its referendum on Sunday, dealing a potentially fatal blow to a charter designed to make the enlarged bloc run smoothly.

Straw said: "As I said a few weeks ago, a 'No' vote by France or any other member state would create a problem for the EU. But given the issues in France ... and the apparent scale of the result, it is in truth more significant than that.

"This raises profound questions for all of us about the future direction of Europe. What we want now is a period of reflection."

Straw said the British government would ratify the treaty only by way of a referendum but officials have cautioned that there can be a plebiscite only if there is a constitution to vote on.

The French result throws the whole treaty into question.

The government would face a battle to convince eurosceptic Britons to approve the charter with opinion polls pointing to a defeat, which could end Prime Minister Tony Blair's career.

However, Blair looks certain to play a leading role in deciding how the EU should proceed as the next holder of the six-month presidency.

The Netherlands holds a referendum on the constitution on Wednesday and polls taken before the French vote showed a majority of Dutch also oppose the constitution.

Blair's office declined to comment on the French result but the prime minister is due to make a statement early on Monday in Italy where he is staying.

- REUTERS