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.
(Denny Crane: "Sometimes you can only look for answers from God and failing that... and Fox News".)
You are evil. I love it.
That's easy: Closer ties to the U.S.A. and endorsement of and cooperation with the Bush Administration.
The Left has nothing to offer but failure, nihilism, decadence, Marxism, delusion, propaganda, platitudes, and suicide. This is exactly why the political and cultural center of gravity in America has shifted to Middle America from the Leftist enclaves of the West and Northeast Coasts, as was dramatically demonstrated in the 2004 Presidential Election.
The American people have heard the message of the Left and have resoundingly and wisely rejected it.
Europeans should do the same.
Middle America offers leadership, solutions, stability in an unstable world, optimism, a plan for the future, economic and political progress, tried and true values, morality, and The American Dream of liberty, prosperity, and justice for all the people of the world.
The answer to Europe's crisis is easy: Embrace the values and leadership of Middle America. Together we can bring The American Dream to Europe and to the rest of the world as well.
I'm surprised that you people at The Guardian haven't thought of this.
It could be very sweet: by year's end-- Chirac, Schroeder, Saddam and Chretien all gone-- GWBush, Tony Blair, John Howard, all still in power.
Someone please educate me. What the heck is a "beeber" ?
Along with Jennings, Rather and Brokaw.
The mix of currencies is fine...until you have to travel across a border and pay the exchange office to convert what you have to what you will need...for a 3% plus fee. Regardless of the currency in your hands, the cost of items in Europe is significantly higher than what you would pay for the same thing in the U.S. I chose to significantly underrun my expenses vs per diem. I spent the different on goods in the U.S. at a more favorable price.
The French apparently don't want to surrender their sovereignity to the Brussels bureaucrats. Nobody with an IQ over 20 would want to do that.
It's always been a mystery to me why anyone would want to hold a currency that won't exist in five years time.
The "POINT" is..., when the "member states" bother to ask their citizens about the issue (very few have), they say HELL NO!
Crying tears over the fact that the EU's "representatives" all support THEIR view of a constitution that is going down in flames is typical of the RED GUARDIAN!
Don't worry, all they have to do is forbid any referendums on their plans in the future!!!
After all, "All animals are equal but,... some are more equal than others"... (Sound familiar???).
Le Congres ne pourra faire aucune loi concernant l'etablissement d'une religion ou interdisant son libre exercice, restreignant la liberte de la parole ou de la presse, ou touchant au droit des citoyens de s'assembler paisiblement et d'adresser des petitions au Gouvernement pour le redressement de leurs griefs.
Without too much elaboration, a "beeber" is used to "stune" folks at border crossing point to make sure that they are not carrying radioactive materials.
Thus the phrase: "He stuned me with his beeber."
Het Congres zal geen wet maken betreffende de instelling van een godsdienst, of die de vrije uitoefening van een godsdienst verbiedt; of die de vrijheid van meningsuiting of de persvrijheid beknot; of het recht van het volk om vreedzaam te vergaderen en het recht om zich tot de Regering te wenden voor her verhelpen aan misstanden.
...That was my first thought at seeing the headline. But then I check the source. The Guardian....
Ah yes, The Guardian. According to Jonathan Hunt of Fox News, they are still lamenting the demise of the old Soviet Union.
Gotta love that guy. He kind of tells it like it is.
LOL Good one.
It doesn't have to be passed by referendum, a vote in the parliament will do too.
France has a tradition with holding referendums whereas the UK doesn't so Blair resisted it strongly.
For once the French got it right :)
It always feels like we're fighting against very powerful, insurmountable forces.
With France, it's all about them.
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