Schroeder rules out German referendum on EU charter

Unlike Britain, France and several other European Union states, Germany will not hold a referendum on the bloc's constitution, Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder said on Thursday.
Schroeder, asked if France's decision on Wednesday to hold a referendum made any difference to the German stance, told reporters: "In Germany the constitution forbids the referendum and we will respect the constitution."
Schroeder was speaking after a meeting with British Prime Minister Tony Blair in London.
French President Jacques Chirac said on Wednesday his country, like Britain, would hold a referendum to ratify the constitution, intended to make the EU run smoothly after its enlargement to 25 states.
Germany would have to change its constitution to hold a referendum, but the necessary two-thirds majority in both houses of parliament is not in sight as only the opposition liberals are wholeheartedly in favour of letting the people decide.
Schroeder said it was a sovereign issue for both France and Britain to decide on a referendum.
He also said British-German relations had not been soured by their disagreement last month on who should succeed Romano Prodi as Commission President.
"I didn't notice any difference," Schroeder said when asked if the spat had hurt relations. France and Germany had endorsed Belgian Prime Minister Guy Verhofstadt for the job, but Britain opposed him fiercely.
The most important thing now was for the designated Commission President Jose Manuel Durao Barroso to be successful, Schroeder added.
Opinion polls show a majority of French people back the EU constitution, but a referendum could still be a risky for Chirac. British Prime Minister Tony Blair is expected to face an uphill battle to win a "yes" vote.
If any of the EU's member states does not ratify the constitution, there could be a new vote or the treaty would need negotiating.
Spain, Portugal, Denmark, Ireland and Luxembourg say they will also hold referendums on the constitution, while Belgium, the Czech Republic and Poland are expected to follow suit.