This is the house that Jacques built. And we’re moving out!

PES campaigns for a 'oui' in constitution vote

Party of European Socialists President Poul Nyrup Rasmussen on Thursday appealed to French voters not to let public resentment of President Chirac end in a ‘no’ vote against the European Constitution.

Instead he encouraged the French to embrace the new Constitution as a way of turning their backs to the Europe of old and its leading architect Jacques Chirac.
Speaking at the launch of a PES campaign for a ‘yes’ in the French EU Constitution referendum, Rasmussen said:

" For those who want to say no to the constitution in order to punish Chirac, think again."

" This isn’t Chirac’s Treaty, it’s our Treaty."

" The old, Nice Treaty is Chirac’s Treaty."

" A ‘yes’ to the Constitution is a ‘no’ to the Nice Treaty."

" It’s a way of saying out with the old and in with the new, a way of moving out of the old European House that Jacques built, and into a new one, bigger and better."

For more information or interview requests with Mr Rasmussen, please call Alexandra Pardal on +32 485 94 19 05