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Luxembourg Leader Hopes EU Charter Revived
 Luxembourg approved the European Union's proposed constitution Sunday despite uncertainty over its future, prompting the nation's premier to say it had put the charter "back on the European agenda" after recent rejections. Luxembourg's vote means a majority of the union's nations â 13 out of 25 â have approved the constitution. However, the bloc's leaders have frozen the ratification process after the charter was rejected in French and Dutch voters in late spring. The constitution needs unanimous approval to take effect, and leaders in France and The Netherlands have said they will not hold a second vote.But Prime Minister Jean-Claude Juncker insisted the constitution was not dead after 56.52 percent of voters in Luxembourg approved it. Officials said 43.48 percent voted against it. "If Luxembourg had voted 'no' today, that would have been the final shot in the head for the constitution," Juncker said. "As Luxembourg has said 'yes' the process can go ahead. There is a way for the European constitution to be adopted." Posted by: Fred 2005-07-11 |
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