By Timothy Heritage
Sun May 29, 6:55 PM ET
PARIS (Reuters) - France overwhelmingly rejected the     European Union's constitution in a referendum on Sunday, plunging the EU into crisis and dealing a potentially fatal blow to a charter designed to make the enlarged bloc run smoothly.
EU leaders in Brussels said the constitution was not dead and member states should continue the ratification process, but British Foreign Secretary Jack Straw said France's rejection raised profound questions about the future of the bloc.
French President Jacques Chirac swiftly conceded defeat in a televised address to the nation as the "No" camp celebrated a crushing victory with about 56 percent of votes on the EU's first constitution, intended to simplify decision-making.

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