Villepin to Chirac aid

The result of Sunday’s referendum has plunged the 25-nation EU as well as France into crisis. Those problems are likely to deepen when the Netherlands holds a referendum on the treaty on Wednesday because opinion polls point to another heavy defeat. ‘‘We had hoped for a neck-and-neck race (but)… it looks as if it is going to be a ‘No’ vote,’’ Dutch Foreign Minister Bernard Bot told CNN television.

Despite the crisis in France over the charter, Chirac has ignored calls to quit. But he made Raffarin the scapegoat and signalled he would make some policy adjustments to take account of voters’ dissatisfaction, which is as much to do with domestic politics as with disillusionment with EU.

As a loyal ally, Villepin will have the task of steadying the ship of state as the 72-year-old President considers whether to seek a third term as President in an election due in 2007.

Villepin (51) has good relations with his European allies, which will be useful as the EU tries to rally together following the rejection of the constitution by one of its key members. But he angered the US with his fierce opposition to the US-led war in Iraq when he was foreign minister. —Reuters