http://news.scotsman.com/latest.cfm?id=4672677Portuguese voters are split virtually down the middle over whether to approve the proposed European Union constitution, according to an opinion poll published today.
The poll, published by the weekly newspaper Expresso, indicated 50.8% would vote yes, while 49.2% would reject the charter.
The government intends to hold a referendum on the treaty in October.
The Portuguese have favoured deeper EU integration since Portugal joined the bloc in 1986. Portugal has received billions of euros in development aid from Brussels since joining the bloc in 1986. But uncertainty over the amount of future EU development aid and the charter’s recent rejection by French and Dutch voters have fuelled doubts about the bloc’s direction.
The governing Socialist Party and the main opposition Social Democratic Party have both said they will campaign for a ‘yes’ vote.
