European Chain for the " OUI "

12.00.00am UTC (GMT +0000) Thu 26th May 2005

On Thursday afternoon 26th of May a delegation of about twenty MEPs, including Sarah Ludford MEP, went to the capital of France in order to participate in a Human Chain of elected representatives and citizens from all over Europe.

As the European Constitution brings Europe closer to its citizens, the MEPs gathered symbolically in front of the Hôtel de Ville of Paris. There they have been joined by over hundred citizens among which numerous young Europeans and a delegation of Italian Mayors and Councillors of Paris. Together they formed the 3 letters of the word OUI.

In response to the 500 MEPs, to the German, Austrian, Italian, Greek, Hungarian, Lithuanian, Slovakian, Slovenian parliaments and the Spanish people that have already massively approved the European Constitution, the European Representatives called on the French citizens to take their responsibility for the future of Europe by voting firmly YES to the first European Constitution of history.

The MEPs said, "the European Constitution represents an indispensable step forward - compared to the present treaties - and constitutes the necessary condition for the ever growing process of creating a union of the peoples and states of Europe."