Chirac, who had urged voters to approve the charter in the bitterly contested referendum, announced the result in a brief, televised address. He said the process of ratifying the treaty would continue in other EU countries.
“It is your sovereign decision, and I take note,” Chirac said. “Make no mistake, France’s decision inevitably creates a difficult context for the defense of our interests in Europe.”
Yes, they were speculating that after his two years were up from his current term he was going to run again but if he does it would be unlikely that he would be re-elected. This was to some a statement against his poor handling of France’s economy and his anti-America stance.
Ted
Chirac was not banking on this.