French urged to back the EU treaty

HELSINKI, Finland — Four European presidents on Saturday urged French voters to say "yes" to the EU Constitution, saying the treaty is a guarantor of stability for Europe.

The presidents of Finland, Austria, Portugal and Latvia, referring to the May 29 referendum in France, said the constitution was not an internal French matter but a "European problem."

"We all agree that the ratification of the European Constitution is very important," Austrian President Heinz Fischer said. "It's not good for Europe if we have problems in that field."

The appeal comes amid growing fears that France might reject the constitution, with polls showing a steady rise for a "no" vote to the charter that the 25 EU leaders, including French President Jacques Chirac, signed in October.

The new EU constitution aims to streamline procedures and decisionmaking after the bloc expanded last year to include 10 new members.

French rejection could be a fatal blow to Europe's struggle to craft a more politically and economically integrated club and could destabilize the euro currency used in France and 11 other EU countries. All 25 EU members must approve the constitution for it to take effect.

The latest French poll indicated that 62 percent of voters will reject the constitution — the highest figure so far.

The poll, conducted Wednesday, was published Friday in the French daily Metro.