A large majority of French want a referendum over a new EU treaty that would introduce a “golden rule” making balanced budgets mandatory, according to a poll to be published today.

President Francois Hollande has opted for a parliament vote to adopt the treaty, a key element in efforts to overcome the eurozone debt crisis, which will enter into force once 12 of the 17 eurozone members have ratified it.

Signed in March, the pact requires countries with high debt to keep their structural deficits below 0.5 per cent of their gross domestic product or be faced with stiff penalties.

But 72 per cent of the 998 people surveyed by polling institute CSA for the daily L’Humanite answered “yes” when asked whether they would like a national referendum to be held on the treaty.

Twenty-three per cent said no, with five per cent undecided.

Respondents from Mr Hollande’s Socialist Party were the least likely to favour a referendum, with 66 per cent answering yes, while supporters of the Front de Gauche left party were the biggest backers, coming in at 80 per cent.

Seventy-five per cent of right-wing supporters answered yes to the referendum in the phone survey on August 21-22.

France’s Constitutional Council ruled this month that no change to the country’s constitution was necessary to adopt the EU fiscal pact, allowing Mr Hollande to avoid a divisive battle within his Socialist party and with its left-wing allies over a constitutional amendment.

The amendment would have required three-fifths approval by parliament or a referendum.