French Poll A Blow To Hopes For European Constitution

The Telegraph (UK) ^ | 3-19-2005 | David Rennie

[blam]

French poll a blow to hopes for European constitution

By David Rennie in Brussels
(Filed: 19/03/2005)

Europe's political establishment was sent reeling yesterday by the first opinion poll to suggest that French voters will reject the draft European constitution and deal the treaty a fatal blow.

According to the CSA institute poll, 51 per cent of the French would vote against the constitution and 49 per cent for.

Chancellor Schröder with President Chirac

The poll marked a 14-point slump for the Yes camp since the last survey three weeks ago.

A rejection from France would plunge the European Union into a political crisis whose outcome is impossible to predict.

In theory, all 25 EU members must ratify the constitution, or the document is doomed. In practice, a Czech or Polish No vote could probably be fudged.

But the consensus in Brussels is that a No vote from France would be a death sentence for the treaty. The crisis is already leading to poisonous mutual finger-pointing between Paris and the European Commission in Brussels over who is to blame for the decline in French enthusiasm for the European project.

The commission's president, Jose Manuel Barroso, has denounced the charged atmosphere in France as "giving excuses to europhobes and eurosceptics". Other European governments with their own referendums to fight over the next two years have watched, with dismay, Mr Chirac's sudden willingness to pick fights over Europe and confront Brussels.

One British politician who follows French politics closely expressed irritation at Mr Chirac's "cynicism" over Europe, as well as his failure to develop a strategy for winning the referendum on May 29.

He expressed equal gloom at the federalist rhetoric of other leaders in the Yes camp, notably the ex-president Giscard d'Estaing, touring the country assuring voters that the treaty is the founding political charter of a new Europe.

"The French haven't got their act together yet," the British observer complained. "They have seemed more concerned with getting the 2012 Olympics than getting a Yes vote in this referendum.

"Between Giscard's romanticised overselling of the constitution treaty, and Chirac's continual cynicism and underperformance, there is a very serious danger that France could pull this whole thing down."

The Yes campaign - led by a fractious coalition of Centre Left and Right leaders - has been dogged by infighting, with some leaders spending as much time warring with rivals in their parties as campaigning for the constitution. The No camp has benefited, above all, from a fresh wave of insecurity and protectionism sweeping France provoked by an EU directive designed to reduce red tape for professionals moving around the EU. Tens of thousands have taken to the French streets to denounce the directive.

To British eyes, the "Bolkestein directive", named after a Dutch former commissioner, is uncontroversial. Its main sticking point, for the French, is a clause that allows professionals, such as Polish architects or British ski-instructors, to move on a temporary contract to another EU country and, initially at least, follow their home country's regulations and labour laws.

But to many French workers, the prospect of thousands of low-paid, low-taxed and lightly regulated Czechs and Poles setting up in competition is proof that the EU has been hijacked by "Anglo-Saxon" free-marketeers and their acolytes from Eastern Europe. The No camp has watched its support surge as it attacked the directive.

The Yes camp reacted with near-panic. Mr Chirac even called the commission president, Jose Manuel Barroso, to tell him that the directive was "unacceptable" and demand that it should be "started again from scratch."

[thoughtomator]

What? Europe doesn't want its own little UN to keep watch over them?

[Arpege92]

LMAO pay backs are most definately a _itch!!!!!!

[Sam Cree]

The French might vote against it because it is too "free market?" I am kind of bemused, this is very funny, to tell the truth.

[bahblahbah]

Kill it now. End that virus before it spreads.

[muleskinner]

My, My...The question becomes, how will this affect the Euro? Drop like the over-inflated pile it is, I'd think.

[1FASTGLOCK45]

The French blow, and i can think of a few other countries too ;) I hope france stays away from the European constitution, we don't want to have to step in again and save France and europe down the road, when a new DIktator hi-jacks EU and it's fancy Constitution. that is one war i'll buy popcorn and watch on tv.

[spokeshave]

What is the French for "Schardenfreude:..?

[conservativecorner]

I LUV IT BUMP!!

[conservativecorner]

Is the uniformed individual in the background saluting or starting the well learned art of surrender by the french?

[Savage Beast]

And American Leftist extremists--the Democrat Party, for example--are just dying to make the American people follow the European example (and I do mean dying).