Do you have a Rheum...
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.
Sorry to be pedantic, but Blair got much less than 50% of the vote at the general election.
This will be even more reason to laugh that those, stars in a circle, EU stickers on the backs of cars.
That was my first reaction, too. Great minds, yada, yada, yada.
John Kerry is deeply Saddened!!
or. JKIDS
Well, now there is no way for the French and Germans to tax the rest of the countries in the EU so they can get out of debt.
You have to be alive to be stunned.
In the words of a european bank president the euro was made to bring down the dollar. Not in value but in stature. To eliminate the dollar as the global currency.
They seek to make regulations which would superceed concerns of compliance with american standards. (ie the EU GPS system)
Basically by aquiring more "members" they seek to force the EU-izing of the world.
I think the USA should consider adding a few willing states. (ie alberta)
If the eurocrats though voting would have endangered the approval of the constitution they never would have allowed it. In fact many smaller nations voted via parlament specifically for that reason.
I would bet the revote will be a popular europe WIDE vote where a blanket simple majority would rule. Thus a single country can be overridden by the populations of the larger approving populations. Individual nations would not matter.
55:45? Where's the demand for a recount?
This was my first reaction...I assumed they just had a typical french failure to communicate...
In your face, Soros and Buffet.
Note that the only thing the French won't surrender to is a document written by a ... Frenchman.
And unlike the U.S., the Japanese have some multi-day holidays, whereas the U.S. doesn't have any (though it looks to me like Thanksgiving's Thursday and Friday are effectively turning into a two-day holiday and one that is conveniently then a recurring 4 day weekend.)
Think: collector's items. It's like Confedracy dollars.
That post had such a wondrous collection of mangled language, it's sort of surprising that ONLY "stuned" and "beeber" became enshrined in the FR lexicon!
"Enjoy your 4 weeks, then ! Any projects ?"
Oh. A minor one or two. My wedding and honeymoon. That sort of average thing. ;)
"Enjoy your 4 weeks, then ! Any projects ?"
Oh. A minor one or two. My wedding and honeymoon. That sort of average thing. ;)
It's like watching a car wreck in slow motion in the rear view mirror as you drive on by.....
The sonambulent stupor of the socialist welfare state cuts off all reason and common sense.
It's like watching a car wreck in slow motion in the rear view mirror as you drive on by.....
The sonambulent stupor of the socialist welfare state cuts off all reason and common sense.
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