PRAGUE, Czech Republic, Feb. 28 (UPI) -- Czech President Vaclav Klaus was quoted Monday as saying his country should hold a referendum on Europe's new constitution.
The CTK news agency quoted Klaus, a vocal critic of the European Union, as saying ordinary people were less enthusiastic about deeper integration in Europe than politicians.
"It is absolutely clear that many more people from the political sphere than normal people from the non-political sphere are for the deepening of European integration, and this applies to every European country," he said.
The Czech Republic has not yet decided whether to hold a referendum on the constitution or to put it to a vote in parliament, which would effectively be a rubber stamp for the constitution.
Spain held a referendum last week and thus became the first of the 25 European Union states to vote in favor of the new constitution. The vote itself was non-binding but is now sure to pass in parliament, analysts say.
The referendum was supported by around three quarters of voters. However, turnout was just 42 percent. Analysts said the turnout figures reflected widespread apathy across Europe about Brussels institutions, which seem far removed from ordinary people's daily lives.
