After the party the country After the Socialist militants the French

After the party, the country; After the Socialist militants, the French. For the first time since his failure in the first round of the presidential election of 2002, Lionel Jospin participated yesterday evening at a television program, "Open issues" on France 2, to defend the "Yes" to the Constitution European. Saturday, at the celebration of the centenary of the PS, former Prime Minister had a resounding entry in the referendum campaign in to taking roundly the supporters of the left. The ease and authority he had shown had eclipsed other tenors of the "Yes", starting with the first Secretary of the PS, François Hollande. Yesterday, the issue was of any magnitude: convince voters to left, which are, according to polls, mostly favour the "no".

Not "punish the France".

Aware of the issue, former Prime Minister had carefully prepared his speech, asking notes each, testing its arguments on the other. From the beginning of the show, he did what all the "Yes" tenors hoped to: encourage voters to left do not transform the referendum in enforcement of the policy of Jacques Chirac. "Vote against the Constitutional Treaty is to punish the France, is punishing Europe, does not punish the power in place," he said, adding, to to make it clear: "when one marries or that it is pacse, is his girlfriend or his companion that said it"Yes", step to the mayor or the notary". And asking voters to not take Europe "hostage" of discontent that former rival of the head of State, he said "understanding."

Anxious to avoid any diversion of the referendum debate, Lionel Jospin wanted cut short at the imputations about his future. He would play "no particular role" but "say freely" that he "believes just" and "help the Socialists to act." Having criticized Saturday the indiscipline of the proponents of the "no" to the PS, he did not wish "to return". Just noted in a smile that he did "not felt" Laurent Fabius "on a different position" of his own when they were both to the Government.

This relative reserve has not prevented Lionel Jospin systematically counter the arguments of the camp of the "no". The European Constitution would be a "liberal straitjacket" "This term makes no sense because the essence of liberalism is to want no framework," replied Lionel Jospin, Relativizing the importance of part 3 of the Treaty as "code European policies".

The incompatibility of the "no".

"Europe is not liberal", he insisted. For him, the Constitution is a "neutral framework" allowing each country to make its choice freely. Its rejection would mean "politically and psychologically, Europe down that bogged down and a France that is isolating itself".

Eager to rebut any possibility of negotiating a better treaty after a "no" to the France, he assured: "can impose a"no"(to the European partners) but not the outright rally at our views." In its business for the demolition of the "no" left, Lionel Jospin attacked simultaneously on three fronts. First, he noted "the incompatibility of the"no"" of the extreme right, extreme left and the PS. At the latter, he then denied any relevance: "it is no consistency of the"no"pro-European.". "When we want Europe, it said"Yes"". Finally, he accused the Socialists opposed to the Constitution to lie, especially when they dangle a threat on the abortion: "those who are capable of also coarse untruths make me to question the validity of what they say on other topics.

To greet the challenge of the referendum, Lionel Jospin invited everyone to "weigh the consequences of its actions." Recognizing however the dissatisfaction of voters from the left on the social dimension of Europe, he explained that it had to be to keep for future conquests. Have the patience