Spain to vote on EU constitution

Sunday, February 20, 2005

Madrid - Spain today will be the first of the European Union nations over the next few years to vote on the treaty establishing a EU constitution. The referendum being held, one of 9 confirmed by member countries, is expected to draw 40 to 50% of Spain's 35 million voters.

Polling stations have been opening since 0800 UTC, with a small stream of people casting their ballot. The question on the ballot paper is:

"¿Aprueba usted el Tratado por el que se establece una Constitución para Europa?" ("Do you approve the treaty establishing a constitution for Europe?")

It is expected that a yes vote will come from the referendum, though the referendum is non-binding, with parliament having the final say.

However, despite constant media bombardment, as many as 90% of Spaniards are unsure of the content of the constitution, according to a government poll.

Spain has been a member of the European Union since 1986 and has received large amounts of development grants and subsidies. Since joining, it has grown into one of biggest economies in Europe and the world.

Results

According to the Spanish Interior Ministry, all of the ballots being casted 77% have said "sí" (yes) to the treaty establishing a EU constitution. However turnout has been low with only 42% of the voters voting in this referendum.

The results of the referendum, 77% say sí (yes), 17% say no, and 6% of the ballots are estropeado (spoilted).

Sources

"Spanish vote on EU constitution" — BBC News, February 20, 2005
Spain PM plea for EU vote turnout <broken link> — CNN, February 20, 2005
Spain to vote on EU <broken link> — News24-RSA, February 20, 2005
"Los Reyes votan por cuarta vez" — El Mundo, February 20, 2005(in Spanish)

This page is archived, and is no longer publicly editable.

Articles presented on Wikinews reflect the specific time at which they were written and published, and do not attempt to encompass events or knowledge which occur or become known after their publication.

Got a correction? Add the template {{editprotected}} to the talk page along with your corrections, and it will be brought to the attention of the administrators.

Please note that due to our archival policy, we will not alter or update the content of articles that are archived, but will only accept requests to make grammatical and formatting corrections.

Note that some listed sources or external links may no longer be available online due to age.

This page is archived, and is no longer publicly editable.

Articles presented on Wikinews reflect the specific time at which they were written and published, and do not attempt to encompass events or knowledge which occur or become known after their publication.

Got a correction? Add the template {{editprotected}} to the talk page along with your corrections, and it will be brought to the attention of the administrators.

Please note that due to our archival policy, we will not alter or update the content of articles that are archived, but will only accept requests to make grammatical and formatting corrections.

Note that some listed sources or external links may no longer be available online due to age.