The European Parliament resoundingly endorsed the European Union's planned constitution on Wednesday, but national differences in voting highlighted the tough political fight that lies ahead in at least three of the countries that will hold referendums on the new treaty.

Members of the parliament approved the treaty by 500 votes against 137, with 40 abstentions, a result that "surpassed by a long way even the positive expectations that we had before", according to Josep Borrell, the president of the parliament.