Parliament rejects constitutional referendum

24 January 2005

BRUSSELS – Belgium will not have a referendum on the new EU constitution, the parliament has decided.

The failure of the Flemish Spirit party to back a plan by the Flemish Liberal (VLD ) group has meant there is no longer a majority in favour of the idea.

Geert Lambert, from the right wing Flemish Volksunie fraction, said Spirit was clearly afraid of debating the issue as it would give a platform to the extreme right Vlaams Belang party to raise the issue of Turkey’s EU membership bid.

Subject: Belgian news