MrPresident
Anglo-Saxon Liberal
Downing Street has moved to calm talk of a rift with France over the issue of a referendum on the EU constitution.
In a newspaper article, Tony Blair has told the French people why he believes such a vote is essential.
But No 10 denied the article would add pressure on French President Jacques Chirac to hold a referendum, saying it should be kept "in perspective".
He said the two leaders had discussed the UK referendum and EU expansion "earlier this week".
"If a French newspaper asks for an article it is sensible to write one setting out our position.
"The French government's position on the matter is a matter for the French government," Mr Blair's spokesman said.
He confirmed Mr Blair was to meet Giscard D'Estaing, until recently the man in charge of drawing up the draft EU constitution, later on Wednesday.
He said the meeting had been arranged because Mr D'Estaing "was in town".
In a front page opinion piece for the centre-left Le Monde newspaper, Tony Blair said that it was time to let the British public decide on the issue.
Headlined 'My Europe', the article said the enlarged European Union will give the organization a "new energy".
The BBC's Paris correspondent Caroline Wyatt says that Mr Chirac has been reluctant to call a vote.
This is because of fears that it could turn into a protest vote against either an unpopular French government or further European enlargement.
On his decision to let voters decide on whether the UK should sign up to the constitution, Mr Blair said that the time had come to put his cards on the table.
It was the chance for Euro-sceptics and pro-Europeans to put forward their arguments, but he has said he was sorry that the issue had been presented "in such a bad light."
"It is impossible to argue intelligently when the debate centres not on the merits of the planned constitution, but on whether there is good reason to consult the people on the subject," he said.
There has been no comment from the Elysee Palace on Mr Blair's article, but Mr Chirac will give a press conference about Europe on Thursday which may offer some clues as to his position on a referendum, Caroline Wyatt has said.
Source
What do you think?
In a newspaper article, Tony Blair has told the French people why he believes such a vote is essential.
But No 10 denied the article would add pressure on French President Jacques Chirac to hold a referendum, saying it should be kept "in perspective".
He said the two leaders had discussed the UK referendum and EU expansion "earlier this week".
"If a French newspaper asks for an article it is sensible to write one setting out our position.
"The French government's position on the matter is a matter for the French government," Mr Blair's spokesman said.
He confirmed Mr Blair was to meet Giscard D'Estaing, until recently the man in charge of drawing up the draft EU constitution, later on Wednesday.
He said the meeting had been arranged because Mr D'Estaing "was in town".
In a front page opinion piece for the centre-left Le Monde newspaper, Tony Blair said that it was time to let the British public decide on the issue.
Headlined 'My Europe', the article said the enlarged European Union will give the organization a "new energy".
The BBC's Paris correspondent Caroline Wyatt says that Mr Chirac has been reluctant to call a vote.
This is because of fears that it could turn into a protest vote against either an unpopular French government or further European enlargement.
On his decision to let voters decide on whether the UK should sign up to the constitution, Mr Blair said that the time had come to put his cards on the table.
It was the chance for Euro-sceptics and pro-Europeans to put forward their arguments, but he has said he was sorry that the issue had been presented "in such a bad light."
"It is impossible to argue intelligently when the debate centres not on the merits of the planned constitution, but on whether there is good reason to consult the people on the subject," he said.
There has been no comment from the Elysee Palace on Mr Blair's article, but Mr Chirac will give a press conference about Europe on Thursday which may offer some clues as to his position on a referendum, Caroline Wyatt has said.
Source
What do you think?
The bard himself could not have put it better.
...but this is something nobody really cares about). I'm convinced that the scepticism would be defeated through better information of the people (remember the Euro: most used to be against it for a long time and changed their minds once they received the information they lacked)
