President Jacques Chirac has told France's partners that he is to continue work on European integration despite the French electorate's rejection of the EU Constitution on Sunday.
Mr Chirac's spokesman said today the president had talked about the referendum's outcome with several EU partners. "He has signalled that in his eyes, the ratification process must continue in other European countries."
Mr Chirac assured leaders that France "would continue to work with its partners in the spirit of European construction," his spokesman added.
After the vote results, Mr Chirac had talked to EU President Jean-Claude Juncker, prime minister of Luxembourg; EU Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso; German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder; British Prime Minister Tony Blair, Russian President Vladimir Putin and others.
France and Europe reeled on Monday from a resounding French "No" vote that could sound the death knell for a proposed constitution for the European Union.
The charter, designed to ensure smooth decision-making in the enlarged bloc, requires the backing of all member states to enter into force. EU leaders said the treaty was still alive but acknowledged the French result hit its chances elsewhere in the 25-nation bloc, notably in Wednesday's vote in the Netherlands.
Defeated in one of France's biggest referendum turnouts for years, President Jacques Chirac hinted he could replace Prime Minister Jean-Pierre Raffarin, who told reporters after meeting Mr Chirac to expect unspecified political developments by tomorrow.
In a turnout of 69.7 per cent, many voters used the poll to punish Mr Chirac's conservatives over France's fragile economy and high unemployment. The 72-year-old leader promised changes but ignored calls from some opponents to step down.
"There is a risk of contagion," European Commission President Jose Manuel Durao Barroso told French LCI Television after results of yesterday's referendum showed 54.87 per cent of French voters voted "No", a higher margin than most expected.
Nine countries representing nearly half the EU's 454 million citizens have approved the constitution and leaders from Greece, Poland and Denmark said the process must continue as planned.
With a renegotiation of the charter seen impossible, Mr Barroso said EU leaders would study the options at the next scheduled summit on June 16 thand 17th. A Dutch rejection is seen making it harder for EU leaders to call repeat votes in countries that turn down the charter.
"It's always been said in the Netherlands we should not become Europe's village idiot by voting 'No'. This will give the Dutch more confidence to say 'No' to this constitution," Dutch Socialist Party member Harry van Bommel said.
British Prime Minister Tony Blair told reporters on a visit to Italy the EU needed "time for reflection", adding it was too early to say whether Britain would proceed with its referendum.
Meanwhile, Mr Raffarin's term as prime minster looks tenuous. Political analysts said the sheer size of the "No" vote could make Nicolas Sarkozy, ambitious leader of Mr Chirac's ruling UMP party, favourite for the post after he called for a radical overhaul of economic and social policy after the result.
The other main contender is Interior Minister and long-time Chirac loyalist Dominique de Villepin.
Analysts agreed a key factor in the resounding defeat of the "Yes" camp was anger at unemployment - now at a 5-year high of 10.2 per cent - and at Mr Chirac's unpopular economic reforms.
Constitution critics successfully portrayed the charter as enshrining pro-market policies that would cost French jobs and put business interests ahead of social concerns.