EU: French minister for European affairs Catherine Colonna described the future of the EU constitutional treaty as "uncertain" yesterday, and signalled that the French government was unlikely to propose a second referendum on the issue.
Ms Colonna, who was in Dublin to meet Taoiseach Bertie Ahern, and other Ministers, said it would be difficult to ask the French people to vote again on the same text without getting the same answer or an even worse response.
"We know our electorate, and if we ask them again we will get the same reply. We will have to reassess the situation in 2006," she said. "At the moment I cannot see anyone wishing or asking for a second vote."
Ms Colonna said she did not see any amendments that could be made to the constitution at present that would make it acceptable to the French people.
Despite strong government support for the EU constitution, the French people voted to reject it in a referendum in May this year.
The rejection of the constitution in France, and a subsequent vote against the treaty in the Netherlands, prompted member states to undertake a "pause for reflection" until 2006.
Ms Colonna said the French government supported the decision made this year by EU member states to allow the process of ratification of the constitution to continue in other countries.
The Irish Government has not yet set a date for a referendum on the proposed EU constitution.
Ms Colonna also met Minister for European Affairs Noel Treacy and Minister for Agriculture Mary Coughlan.
Ms Coughlan has strongly supported French objections to a renegotiation of the common agricultural policy under the British presidency of the EU.