Chirac & Schroeder hold crisis talks

French President, Jacques Chirac and German Chancellor, Gerhard Schroeder, have agreed that the ratification process of the EU Constitution should go on after voters in France and the Netherlands voted against the treaty.

Mr Chirac had travelled to Berlin to meet the German Chancellor to hold crisis talks on the constitution.

Mr Schroeder is seeking to salvage the constitution from the wreckage after the double rejection.

Germany has ratified the constitution, although no referendum was used, and so have nine others of the 25 member states, but the damage caused by the 'No' votes in France and the Netherlands is severe.