PARIS: The EU constitution is "dead," and the 27-country bloc needs a president to work better, French presidential front-runner Nicolas Sarkozy says in an interview published yesterday.

Sarkozy told Le Monde daily that, after French and Dutch voters rejected the constitution in 2005 referendums, Europe should adopt new, stronger rules that allow it to "function better" - such as setting up the post of EU president.

"The Constitution prepared in an excellent way by (former French president) Valery Giscard d'Estaing is dead because the French said 'no' and the Dutch did too," Sarkozy said.

France's rejection of the EU constitution deeply shamed President Jacques Chirac, who had championed it, and effectively buried the document and stalled further European integration.

Segolene Royal wants to negotiate a new EU treaty and subject it to a referendum.

Sarkozy said it would be "madness" to hold a new French referendum. He wants Europe to postpone the most controversial issues and adopt a new, simpler constitution through national parliaments by 2009.

Source: China Daily/agencies