Posted on 05/29/2005 8:04:31 PM PDT by Pikamax
Europe stunned
Leader Monday May 30, 2005
Guardian
France's emphatic rejection of the EU constitutional treaty is a stunning blow at a time when the continent faces grave economic problems and political challenges. Much comment in recent weeks has suggested that a no vote, while embarrassing, could be shrugged off, since the treaty of Nice will allow the union to carry on functioning.
But that misses the point that the constitution was agreed unanimously by 25 member states representing 455 million people from Helsinki to the Azores and from Nicosia to Warsaw. It represents a considerable investment of political capital and is a carefully-crafted compromise between different visions of the union, streamlining its functioning and boosting its clout in a world dominated by an unassailably powerful US. Despite the dire warnings of eurosceptics, it sets limits on integration. Its defeat - by 55% - 45% according to initial official figures - is very bad news for those who want a more coherent Europe punching at its weight. The value of the euro dipped on foreign exchanges last week in response to signs that the nos were holding their lead. Americans, Chinese and Indians, vying for advantage in an interdependent world, will be able to get their way more easily if Europeans are in disarray.
Rejection by France makes the blow doubly painful. It is true that the reasons for the no victory seem to be less about the treaty itself than the country's crisis over its place in an enlarged Europe, the failure of its political class and a reluctance to confront the challenges of globalisation. But the vote marks an alarming retreat from its historic role as a keen European and motor of integration.
Deference to the Dutch referendum on Wednesday meant that official responses to last night's extraordinary result were muted. But it is already clear that there is no point in pretending that the process of ratification should go ahead as if nothing had happened. It is regrettable that France's no means there will be no need for a referendum in this country to clarify, perhaps once and for all, what Britons want from their relationship with the rest of Europe. If there is no constitution to ratify, there is no need for a UK vote. Demands by eurosceptics anxious to provoke a terminal crisis should be firmly resisted.
France's no is highly damaging to the credibility and popularity of the EU, already in very poor shape as shown by the record low turnout in the European elections last summer. But much more than credibility is at stake. The immediate effect of this crisis is that it is hard to imagine that Turkey will be able to begin its membership talks in October, since anti-Turkish feeling was a key issue of the French and Dutch no campaigns. Prospects for agreement on the EU budget for 2007-2003 will also recede. It had been hoped that this could be settled before Tony Blair takes over the presidency on July 1. With Germany facing new elections in the autumn that mammoth task will have to be put off until next year, dangerously close to the deadline.
Much will be said in the coming days about salutary wake-up calls, heard when Denmark and Sweden rejected euro membership and Ireland the Nice treaty. But there will be nothing salutary about this failure if governments retreat from Europe into navel-gazing and narrow national agendas. If Britain carries on demanding its money back in the row over the budget it is far from inconceivable that others will demand their sovereignty back, or resist the call to dismantle protective trade barriers.
The idea of an integrationist Franco-German core emerging from the rubble seems fanciful: what do the two biggest and most underperforming economies in the eurozone have to offer by way of leadership? It will take time for the dust to settle. But even when it has, it is far from certain that the way ahead will be clear.
Shouldn't that be 'stuned'?
OK, so the Euro has value why?
Stunned? They saw the polling leading up to this. They knew this was a strong possibility.
----what do the two biggest and most underperforming economies in the eurozone have to offer by way of leadership?----
I've wondered that one myself.
This whole exercise in futility is just an excuse to prop up the useless fat parasite pigs in Brussels. They get to screw around for years to come, now.
Bless their lil' beebers!
In a perfect world, it should be "shunned."
What happened, did Hitler return?
No, even worse, the French finally found something they wouldn't surrender to; the EU constitution - even if was written under the guidance of a former French president. It's not the first time the French government has set up the rest of Europe, and it certainly won't be the last.
stuned muh beebers seriesly hugh
" Europe was stuned today by a small beeber like device"
you can't count on france to do the right thing, you can't count on france to do the wrong thing... my they are trying
Pardon me while I laugh my butt off....:o)
Music to my ears!
I didn't think French leftists would be the ones to kill that telephone book (it's something like 400 pages long) they call a constitution, but now I know I shouldn't have been surprised. It didn't give due deference to France's greatness and superiority.
I wonder how Buffet feels about the dollar now!
that is true, this is a good step. but the euro-leftists are not going to give up.
Two plus Two equals Five.
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