Finnish President Tarja Halonen has emphasised that the Finnish ratification of the proposed constitution for the European Union is in the hands of the national Parliament.
Commenting on the rejection of the treaty in the Dutch and French referendums, Halonen appeared to think that the process might be delayed as a result.
The rejection of the draft constitution by the French on Sunday and by the Dutch on Wednesday has cast a shadow of doubt over the future of the constitution.
So far the constitutional treaty has been passed in ten countries, only one of which has held a referendum. The Finnish Parliament is scheduled to debate the law in the autumn, but the timetable is expected to change in many member states as a result of the votes in France and The Netherlands.
