Youth are French first, Europeans second

PARIS, June 29 (UPI) -- Most French young people put national allegiance before European ones, a new poll finds.

A survey of 450 people aged 18-30 found 7 percent consider themselves "solely European" vs. an 77 percent who consider themselves "particularly" or "only" French.

The Louis-Harris survey, published in Wednesday's Liberation newspaper may partially explain the defeat of the European constitution in a French referendum May 29.

Not all youths surveyed voted in the referendum. But 67 percent of them said the charter should be renegotiated, and 87 percent of them called for a more social Europe.

Whether the EU should head in a more free-market direction or one that preserves generous social benefits is a debate dividing the 25-member bloc.