European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso said Friday that a no vote in the French or Dutch referendums on the European Union's constitution would be a «failure for Europe.» «I believe that in case there was a 'No' in any of those countries it would be perceived outside of Europe as a failure for Europe,» Barroso said following a lecture at the London School of Economics. «People will say, 'those Europeans cannot even agree about a treaty.»', according to AP. Barroso refused to speculate about the outcome of the votes in the two countries, but stressed: «We do not have a Plan B.» He insisted it was vital that France, which was central to the European project, did not reject the treaty in its vote on May 29. «I believe it is crucial for France but also for Europe,» he said. Barroso spoke after meeting with Prime Minister Tony Blair. The Netherlands is due to hold its vote on June 1, with polls indicating a majority of voters opposed to the constitution.
