French No camp takes fresh lead

Both sides have stepped up campaigning as the vote looms

Three opinion polls in France show the No camp in front again ahead of the 29 May referendum on the EU constitution.

A TNS Sofres/Unilog poll showed the No camp on 53%, with Yes on 47%. Two other polls - by Ipsos and CSA - showed the No camp on 51%, with Yes on 49%.

Correspondents say opinion may have been influenced by Monday's strikes, held to defy a government decision to scrap a traditional bank holiday.

Prime Minister Jean-Pierre Raffarin is to urge a Yes vote on TV on Tuesday.

CHANGING FRENCH ATTITUDES 4 March: Voting date named 14 April: Chirac TV debate 28 April: Socialist ex-PM Lionel Jospin backs Yes in TV interview 3 May: Chirac TV address 16 May: Campaigns start 29 May: Referendum day

The official campaign on the referendum opened on Monday, two weeks before the vote.

The polls of about 1,000 people were conducted at the weekend.

The TNS Sofres/Unilog poll, commissioned by the daily Le Monde, indicated that most left-wing voters - 59% - were in the No camp, whereas a majority of right-wing voters - 61% - were in the Yes camp.

According to the Ipsos poll, most people think the EU constitution could be renegotiated, with 62% saying they felt it could "certainly" or "probably" be redrafted.

French anxieties

Many French trade unions fear the constitution enshrines an "ultra-liberal" Anglo-Saxon style economic model rather than the French "social" model.

The No camp also includes those who think the treaty threatens France's sovereignty.

The constitution has to be ratified by all EU member states, but many of them are not holding referendums.

The treaty is partly aimed at streamlining decision-making in the enlarged EU of 25 nations.

Commenting on the latest polls, French government spokesman Jean-Francois Cope said: "We have to use all available means to explain to the French people the degree to which this opportunity is historic, and will not come round again soon."