June 12, 2003	Thursday	Rabi-us-Sani 11, 1424

PARIS, June 11: French authorities, including those close to Valery Giscard d’Estaing, president of the European Convention which is drafting the European Union’s first constitution, are refusing to comment on the decision announced by Warsaw according to which the Polish government will “insist” that the new EU constitution include a definitive reference in its preamble to the “Christian values” of Europe.

According to the Polish government’s official spokesman Michael Tober, Warsaw will insist that a reference be made to the EU’s Christian roots “because it is impossible to not make mention of Christian values as one of the foundation stones of European culture and civilization.”

It is a demand that has long been made by Pope John Paul XXIII, who has been insisting that the Constitution’s preamble contain this reference, and has done so before such personalities as Mr Giscard d’Estaing, a former French head of state, as well as his most recent successor, President Jacques Chirac.

As for Mr Chirac, he has said that he’s against any such religious reference, and says he’s taken that stand for a number of reasons, among them being his status as “the representative of a secular State.”

The French head of state is also known to be concerned about the impact such a reference would make on Turkey, which has an important Muslim population and will soon become a member of the EU.