Regards, Ivan
Posted on 05/30/2005 12:18:32 AM PDT by MadIvan
There was a whiff of rebellion in the air yesterday, as the residents of the Bastille quarter of Paris went to vote on the EU constitution.
Whether they voted Yes or No, voters expressed distaste for a campaign they said had been dominated by "fear-mongering" on both sides.
Christine Delmotte, a young mother voting with her son in tow, said that a last-minute television broadcast by President Jacques Chirac, saying a No vote would harm France, made her keener than ever to reject the treaty.
"Chirac and all that lot say that it will be a catastrophe. Well, I don't believe it, and I don't like feeling I'm being forced to do something," said Mrs Delmotte, a civil servant.
She voted No out of a feeling that "Europe is pulling us all downwards, as far as working conditions and social security is concerned".
Sylvie, a legal administrator, said she had agonised over her vote, as she emerged from polling station 54, a primary school in a side street leading off the Place de la Bastille, birthplace of the French Revolution.
Sylvie, 42, who declined to give her surname, ended up voting No. "I only decided two or three days ago, and that's very rare for me. I am normally quite decisive."
The sheer size and scope of the treaty left her bewildered. "The text recognizes the rights of women and homosexuals, and I liked that - that nearly made me vote Yes," she said.
"But what made me vote No was, above all, the fact that it gives powers to Europe on social policy. And as the majority of European countries are liberal [in favour of a free-market], that means that France could be led towards policies we don't like."
Britain's relatively aloof view of the EU - not often the focus of French praise - had inspired her, Sylvie said. "They tried to frighten us about the consequences of a No, but Britain is not in the euro, and its economy hasn't collapsed. So you can clearly say no to some things and not find yourself on the fringes of Europe."
It was precisely that fear of being on the fringes that led Pierre Morel and his partner Laurence Gilbert to vote Yes.
They are typical of the trendy young professionals who have moved into what was once a solidly working-class district. For all its new bars and creative businesses, the Bastille remains firmly on the political Left. Mr Morel said they had made their decision only yesterday, changing their minds several times over the past few weeks - a phenomenon that polls picked up on a national level.
"The Yes campaign was very weak, they defended this constitution badly. In the end, we voted Yes to build Europe, and because if France votes No, there will be consequences for us. We'll end up with our arse between two chairs - I don't know if that's a phrase in English," said Mr Morel.
The couple ultimately feared that the rest of Europe would look down on France for suddenly turning on its own project.
"We can't keep voting like a yo-yo, Yes one minute, No the next," said Miss Gilbert. "France looks contradictory. So I voted Yes, but with reservations."
To Thierry Vessigault, 36, a builder, and Yes voter, the French people and their leaders shared equal blame for a confused, fear-ridden campaign.
He said: "I voted Yes with conviction, because for me the Union makes us strong, it helps us stand up to the United States and China."
But he expressed irritation at the predictions of doom being hurled at French voters. "I don't think France should be blamed if No wins. Several countries are going to vote No. And if No wins, that's because the government ran a really bad campaign."
Regards, Ivan
Ping!
Oh, Ivan, and people have said that U.S. voters are stupid about their reasons for casting their ballots.
No, the US voters did the right thing for the right reasons. But this, this is the biggest example of doing the right thing for the wrong reasons in living memory.
I am mildly shocked that the French didn't realise they were voting the way that British public wanted them to - we didn't want this thing, and we were prepared to be the "killjoys" on this. Instead the French decide they will be. Wonderful.
Regards, Ivan
Ya. It's all "Europe's" fault.
To use an expression I heard in New York:
"Whatever floats your boat, lady"
If that's what she wants to believe, fine. She voted No and that's all I care about. ;)
Regards, Ivan
sniff sniff... Hm, is that a Sixth Republic I smell?
Definitely. Chirac's ambitions just foundered upon the rocks...there is no chance he will be granted a third term.
Regards, Ivan
Our great challenge will be to destroy Europe before all that nuclear hardware and arms making capacity falls into the hands of the islamists. The 21st century does not look very apppealing at the moment.
The right vote for the wrong reasons.
I'm not without hope...I think it will be the Netherlands that will turn first on the Islamists in their midst. If they do turn on them fully, Europe could indeed recover. However you raise a point of demography - to my knowledge only Britain and Ireland have sufficient birthrates to prevent depopulation.
Regards, Ivan
Like I said, I shan't complain. They spared us a lot of agony here in the UK - I can imagine what the hideous pro-EU bandwagon would have been like.
Regards, Ivan
Yes, but in retrospect it could have been expected. The French voted as always for what they perceived as being in THEIR own best interests, even though it was short-shorted to say the least. They won't give up their percs, their playtoys, and all they really need is another Corsican to lead them.:)
Also, I enjoyed your reviews of Star Wars Episode 3 on The Sith Order. Interesting comments about the real 'honor' of the Jedi, and the Republic vs. the Empire.
Regards, Ivan
Chirac, like Schroeder, got by largely on anti-Americanism, but in the end it couldn't save him as even the French realized that he wasn't dealing with their real problems.
lol...Good Golly, Miss Molly, Goood Golly Miss Mollly- don't ya hearr ya mamaa calllll...
My belief is that almost every leftist leader across the Globe is falsely propped up by the Leftist media that slants everything they report, while ignoring the average head of household and the families, who recognizes the dangers of ceding power to the Governments that wishes to control every aspect of their lives.
Maybe, just maybe, the lessons of WWII have not been forgotten
Chirac is busting old grape, while we all commiserate about the new vineyard. The lessons of WWII are strong. Who saved europe?
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