CAMPAIGN FOR EU TREATY HEATS UP

French President Jacques Chirac paid a flying visit to Barcelona on Friday to support Prime Minister José Luis Zapatero's appeal to voters to back the EU constitution in the February 20th referendum on the issue. German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder and Italian President Silvio Berlusconi pulled out of the meeting because they had colds. However, Mr Schroeder has promised to join Sr Zapatero in Zaragoza on Wednesday for a similar rally. The EU leaders' visits seem to confirm fears that voter turnout may be disappointingly low, although polls show that around 65% of Spaniards plan to vote next Sunday. However, all three countries are planning to hold referendums on the issue and it is hoped the Spanish referendum will set an example for their own citizens, hence the unprecedented show of support. Sr Zapatero said the constitution would give EU members a common identity while maintaining their individuality, something the Catalans are worried about, and Mr Chirac called for a massive "yes" vote, to serve as an example. He also said the proposed constitution would allow help Europe to assume its responsibilities: "It is by unifying that Europeans will be strong - without union, they will disappear." The meeting was attended by up to 2,000 people, mostly members of the governing Socialist Party. Spaniards are being asked to answer the question: "Do you approve the treaty instituting a constitution for Europe?" Sr Zapatero's message throughout the campaign has concentrated on repeating that a "yes" vote will give the EU "prosperity and solidarity" and will banish the concepts of war and dictatorship. Several hundred opponents of the treaty gathered outside the meeting place in Barcelona. Ironically, the main opposition to the "yes" vote is coming from the two parties that give Sr Zapatero a majority in Parliament - the Izquierda Unido (United Left, IU) and the Catalan Republican Left (ERC). This was highlighted by Mariano Rajoy, the leader of the main opposition party, Partido Popular (PP), when Sr Zapatero accused the PP of "half-heartedly" asking for the "yes" vote. Sr Rajoy told Sr Zapatero to recognise the PP's campaign efforts, advising him to "forget about us" and deal with the enemy closer to home, that is, the IU and the ERC. Both parties insist that the European Constitution is lacking on many fronts, principally as regards human rights and social policies. The IU insists it will also end up making the EU the tool of the United States, instead of a counterweight to American might. The ultra-nationalist ERC sees the constitution as one more obstacle in the way of Catalan independence from Spain. But the main enemy could be a lack of motivation to vote. Despite the millions of euros which have been spent on television and radio referendum publicity, opinion polls show that the majority of Spaniards still had no idea what the constitution is about. If just one of the 25 EU member states fails to ratify the constitution, it cannot legally take effect. Slovenia, Lithuania and Hungary have already ratified the text by parliamentary vote. Spain is the first EU country to hold a referendum on it.