French parliament approves constitutional reforms (Roundup)

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Jul 21, 2008, 17:26 GMT

Paris - By a single vote, the French Parliament on Monday approved a revision of the constitution that strengthens the role of the legislatures and limits the presidential mandate to two five-year terms. In what is widely seen as a major victory for President Nicolas Sarkozy, both houses of parliament approved the measure by a vote of 539 to 357. To become law, the amendment of the constitution had to be approved by by 538 votes, two-thirds of the 896 lawmakers gathered in special session in Versailles, One opposition lawmaker, the Socialist former education minister Jack Lang, crossed party lines to vote for the measure. Eager to get the reform passed, Sarkozy had personally lobbied skeptical members of his own UMP party who had threatened to join opposition lawmakers in voting against it. French radio cited Sarkozy, who was in Dublin, as expressing his 'joy' at the vote, and saying, 'It is democracy that has won.' In addition to giving parliament additional powers, the measure also obliges the government to hold a referendum whenever a new country wishes to join the European Union. This is broadly viewed as a tactic by Sarkozy to keep Turkey out of the Union. According to polls, the French are largely against Ankara joining the EU.

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