Dutch voters are expected to reject the EU constitution today in a referendum that could deliver the final blow to the treaty's prospects of coming into force.
Final opinion polls suggested that almost 60 per cent of voters would reject the constitution just three days after France gave the document an emphatic No.
EU politicians and officials acknowledged yesterday that a second No vote could derail the process of ratification in other countries.
Denmark's prime minister, Anders Fogh Rasmussen, whose country plans to hold a referendum on September 27th, said that EU leaders must decide at a summit this month if the process should continue.
"Our starting point is that Danes must be given the opportunity to give their opinion, but it presupposes that the European Council decides to continue," he said.
French president Jacques Chirac last night insisted that France's No vote to the constitution in a referendum on Sunday was "not the rejection of the European ideal".
He said in a televised address that the result was a demand for "action" and "results".
"You are calling for determined, immediate action to respond as soon as possible to the present difficulties, which are unemployment and spending power," he said.
Earlier Mr Chirac appointed Dominique de Villepin as prime minister following the resignation of Jean-Pierre Raffarin, as a way of addressing voter concerns on the domestic issues in France.
Tomorrow the Taoiseach will meet Luxembourg's prime minister, Jean Claude Juncker, whose country holds the EU presidency. The two leaders are expected to discuss the impact of this week's referendums.
Mr Ahern will travel from Luxembourg to Berlin, where he will meet chancellor Gerhard Schröder and deliver a speech on Europe - Our common future - to the Humboldt University.
Irish officials said yesterday that the Taoiseach is unlikely to make any decision to call off Ireland's referendum on the constitution before the EU summit on June 16th.
Dutch foreign minister Ben Bot yesterday admitted that the constitution, which has the support of all the country's main political parties, trade unions and business organisations, is likely to be rejected.
"We had hoped for a neck-and-neck race (but) . . . it looks as if it is going to be a No vote," he told CNN television.
The Dutch parliament is not obliged to respect the outcome of today's referendum but the governing Christian Democrats have promised not to ratify the constitution if more than 55 per cent of voters reject it on a turnout of more than 30 per cent.
Latest polls predict a turnout between 42 and 44 per cent.
The low-key campaign was dominated by public disquiet over the size of the Netherlands' per capita contribution to the EU budget - the highest of any member state - and anger over the decision by EU finance ministers two years ago to allow Germany and France to break the rules of the Stability and Growth Pact.
Far-right campaigners against the constitution also appealed to popular hostility to immigration and to moves to start EU membership talks with Turkey.
The Dutch EU commissioner, Neelie Kroes, told Volkskrant newspaper that voters were unhappy with the idea of a constitution for Europe.
"I'd rather talk about a new international treaty. That we're talking about a constitution at all . . . is because of the enthusiasm of the chief author, Giscard d'Estaing. He put a nice title on the thing because he was in an exultant mood. That exaggerated optimism is now being punished," she said.
