France's president has dropped plans to change the country's constitution to allow convicted terrorists to be stripped of their French nationality.
Francois Hollande says he decided to end the debate after parliament failed to reach an agreement.
It was a pointed and divisive anti-terrorism bill, announced in the wake of the deadly Paris attacks last November that killed 130 people.
French president Francois Hollande tabled it in a bid to change the constitution so militants convicted of terrorist attacks could be stripped of their French nationality.
But the proposal, similar to Australia's proposed changes, ran into major opposition, some of the fiercest coming from within his own Socialist Party.
It even led to the resignation of the French justice minister, Christiane Taubira, in February.
After months of debate, the Socialist-dominated National Assembly and the opposition-controlled Senate remained at odds and could not get a three fifths majority on the changes.
President Hollande has now abandoned the bill, blaming hositilities between opposition groups.
(Translated) "I have decided after speaking with the presidents of the National Assembly and the Senate to end the constitutional debate, but I will not divert from the commitments I undertook the day after the attacks of January 2015 and those of November to assure the security of our country and to protect French people from terrorism."
But former French president Nicolas Sarkozy, current leader of the opposition party The Republicans, has put the blame squarely on President Hollande.
Mr Sarkozy says the President condemned the country to a stalemate and immobility, with divisions greater than ever.
President Hollande dismisses such talk, saying he was acting to unite the country.
(Translated)"I did it while asking for us to move past bipartisanship. I did it to unite the French. I did it at a time when the challenges were considerable and we needed action that would demonstrate what we would do together to act against terrorism."
The decision to drop it comes as a suspect in a failed French attack plot has been charged with a string of terrorism offences.
French prosecutor Francois Molins says the man was arrested last week and found to have rifles and explosives in his home.
(Translated)"After six days of questioning -- I remind you, a highly exceptional length of interrogation -- which was justified, on the one hand, by investigations carried out abroad and, on the other hand, by the imminent threat of attack, linked to the discovery of a true arsenal of explosives. Reda Kriket, 32, born on 17th January, 1982, in Courbevoie, of French nationality, was placed under examination on the following charges."
France remains in a state of emergency following the Paris attacks.
That state of emergency is due to expire on May 26.
President Hollande says his and other European countries are fighting what he calls a "war" against terrorism, and he says it requires both a national and European response.
