French Reject E.U. Constitution

[Spiffor]

Well, the effects are yet unknown. We'll have a better picture on wednesday, after the Dutch referendum, and on the 16-17th June, during the European Council, where heads of State will decide on what to do now.

[lord of the mark]

I only heard NPR, before the vote, but when it looked likely Non would win. They didnt know what to make of it either, or the experts on CSpan. The French want a more socialist EU - well that wont fly too well in the UK, where the EU was seen as not liberal enough - and maybe not in eastern europe either. i think theres a certain lack of political realism on the part of the French electorate. Biggest prediction - Europe will be selfabsorbed for several years - this may make the Fox news types happy, but for Americans who want Europe as an active partner, this is not so good.

Hints it may keep Blair in office longer, but also notes that Gordon Brown saw the EU as not particularly relevant.

Hard not to see this in context of German election, as more wrestling with the economic problems of core Europe.

[C0ckney]

good for france

but this is a shame in other ways, mostly because we now won't get a vote on it, which will please tony blair no end, because there was no way he could win a vote on this.

[DAVOUT]

Originally posted by Kuciwalker
I know why they could vote on it; I just don't see why they'd particularly care about the European Union on the other side of the planet...

They care about their fundamental right to be equal to all French citizens. The égalité promised in the national motto is still more valuable when you live on the other side of the planet.

[Sikander]

Originally posted by Lawrence of Arabia
fox news had THE shoddiest reporting ever on the vote, filled with so many journalistic mistakes and bad analysis.

Crap, and I count solely on Fox to bring the nuances of French politics to me. Where can I turn now?

[Sikander]

Originally posted by DAVOUT


They care about their fundamental right to be equal to all French citizens. The égalité promised in the national motto is still more valuable when you live on the other side of the planet.

And the Fraternite is valuable when you are vacationing on the other side of the planet.

[Sloth]

Originally posted by Spiffor

3rd Myth (that will mostly be heard abroad IMO): This referendum shows that the French are anti-European. False.
A whooping 72% of the French population are "very favourable" or "rather favourable" to continue the European construction. Only 23% are opposed to it.

Still this is, in my opinion, a MAJOR set-back European contruction (at least of political Europe), that will be delayed at best by 20 years or so.
In the the this will be the victory of England model of Europe as nothing more than a free-trade zone.
A MAJOR seppuku for Europe left, IMHO

[DAVOUT]

Originally posted by Sikander


And the Fraternite is valuable when you are vacationing on the other side of the planet.

That is true, but in a symbolic way. The real Fraternité appears when you pay your social security share, every month.

[Bereta_Eder]

Why it is a good thing:

It was too liberal.
It didn't go far enough to achieve stronger united political voice.

Why it is a bad thing:
It was in part because french have "dominion issues" over the EU. I say in part. The vast part was because of internal french reasons
Turkey is almost dead after that concerning its entry to the EU. There is no provision for it without the con. (so far only for bulgaria and romania) and the vote was also in part because of EU people not wanting Turkey in. This will translate to more trouble in Greek Turkish relationss. violations of air space will mayby increase maybe soft crisis in the aegean etc and Ankara will be more intrasigent concerning Cyprus. (but then again what else is new)

[St Leo]

Originally posted by BlackCat
Not according to my local news. The french bookshops has apparently sold a lot of books about the subject, both the raw text and different analysis of it.

Yes, and the eight people who actually read the Constitution were the ones who wrote those books. All the extra books just analyzed the original eight and ignored the actual constitution.

[St Leo]

http://slashdot.org/~jawtheshark/journal/108107?from=rss

[DAVOUT]

Originally posted by St Leo
the eight people who actually read the Constitution were the ones who wrote those books. All the extra books just analyzed the original eight and ignored the actual constitution.

I say that 8 people is a bit optimistic; I think that the number of readers has likely not exceeded 6, that is one for ten millions.

[BlackCat]

Originally posted by DAVOUT


I say that 8 people is a bit optimistic; I think that the number of readers has likely not exceeded 6, that is one for ten millions.

Please don't tell me that you need to know anything substantial about a subject that is discussed politically

[Pekka]

Next up: God rejects France.

[Ned]

I still am not clear why the French left dislikes the Constitution. I understand from reading a blurb on CNN that the economic and social clauses are unchanged from the current "constitution."

"And French workers have come to believe that the constitution promotes "Anglo-Saxon liberal economics," embodying labour market reforms that work against job security and generous social welfare provisions, in opposition to their own traditional "social model."

(Actually, all the constitution does is to repeat economic language used in a series of earlier treaties that it codifies. But perception is everything in politics.)"

http://www.cnn.com/2005/WORLD/europe/05/28/france.eu.oakley/index.html

So, in the end, the real reason that the French voted "non" was racist? (Turkey.)