Luxembourg Prime Minister Jean-Claude Junker, whose country holds the rotating European Union presidency, says that a French rejection of the EU constitution will set back the 25-nation bloc for decades.
In an interview published Friday in Brussels newspaper De Standaard, Mr. Junker said that if French voters reject the constitutional treaty in the May 29 referendum, the EU will lose 20 years of progress.
The latest opinion polls in France show the anti-treaty campaign is slightly ahead. Meanwhile, the leaders of France, Germany and Poland have joined forces to urge French voters to pass the constitution.
A rejection by France could doom the treaty, which sets out new rules to make the EU function more smoothly following its acceptance of new members last year. All 25 members must approve the constitution before it can go into effect.
Some information for this report provided by AP and Reuters.