France Will Probably Reject EU Treaty
Friday, May 27, 2005
(SNN Paris) It now looks as if the French voter may very well reject the new EU constitution. On May 29th, French voters will choose to ratify or reject the document which smoothes the way for a 25 nation block joining the EU.
The vote may end up a protest vote against President Jacques Chirac
Ironically, the vote may end up a protest vote against President Jacques Chirac, whose popularity is low because of unemployment and budget cuts. To add to the complication, a similar protest vote may be soon be given by the Dutch.
The situation in France and also the Netherlands shows that while their leaders are for a new level of EU involvement, their citizens resent the level of influence other countries have on them. The basic problem is the French people do not want the British to have a more active role in the activities within their country.
Meanwhile, in Britain, Tony Blair is planning on a no vote. Firstly, with the campaigning for his own general election, Blair has not yet arranged British voting. Secondly, Blair fears the Constitution would fail in Briton. The basic problem being the British people do not want the French to have a more active role in the activities within their country.
German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder and Spanish Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero have been campaigning
To quell the concerns of the French, German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder and Spanish Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero have been campaigning in France. However, their presence has done little to calm those that fear foreign intervention; perhaps reminding them of the last time Germany tried to closely unite Europe.
Added to this is a fear of exactly what the new constitution will do. No one even has a faintest clue what the constitution would do. “A thousand lawyers couldn’t explain this constitution,” said Jean La Pierre, waving a clenched fist. “A lot of these articles are completely vague. Are they good or bad for France? Who can say?” Although it should be pointed out that much of the confusion could be caused by translating the document into the confusing and needlessly ornamental French language.
It is widely expected that French citizens that vote “non” will be banished to other parts of the world, perhaps even Antarctica.
