Giscard regrets constitution sent to French people

EU Observer ^ | 6/15/05 | Lisbeth Kirk

[Unam Sanctam]

It was a crucial mistake to send out the entire constitution to every French voter, the architect of the EU's first constitution Valéry Giscard d'Estaing has said in an interview.

In an interview with the New York Times, his first since the French rejection of the constitution two weeks ago, the former French president apportions most of the blame to president Jacques Chirac for failure in the referendum campaign.

One crucial mistake was to send out the entire three-part, 448-article document to every French voter, said Mr Giscard.

Over the phone he had warned Mr Chirac already in March: "I said, 'Don't do it, don't do it'".

"It is not possible for anyone to understand the full text".

Mr Giscard d'Estaing also puts the blame on the present generation of political leaders.

Neither Mr Chirac nor other European leaders had a strategy for ratifying the constitution, he said.

"The present generation of leaders, whatever their strengths, never put Europe at the top of their agenda".

Mr Giscard d'Estaing was appointed by EU leaders at the Laeken summit in December 2001 to head a 102-member convention and draft a European Constitution.

Today Mr Giscard believes the constitution probably would have passed in France if the EU leaders had not left open the possibility of full EU membership for Turkey.

This week the bloc's leaders will meet in Brussels to decide the fate of the constitution, or "my document", as Mr Giscard puts it.

The ratification process should continue across Europe, the former president advises and predicts: "In the end, it will pass", he added. "There is no better solution".

[HamiltonJay]

Agreed, but it was not voted on by mass referendum.. it was not a 1 man 1 vote ratification process.... if it had been, it likely would not have been ratified.

I am not defending the EU Constitution, I am just pointing out realities of 'true democracy'... its not a good system of government, and never has been.

[Frumious Bandersnatch]

Lessee now, a 488 page document written in legalese that even its authors cannot understand vs a 5,000 word document written so plainly that even a third grader can understand it.

Which, if they had a true choice, do you think the French would have taken?

[Still Thinking]

It was a crucial mistake to send out the entire constitution to every French voter, the architect of the EU's first constitution Valéry Giscard d'Estaing has said in an interview.

Yeah, we wouldn't want the sheeple to know what they're voting on, they might get the idea they have a right to make up their own mind.

[Still Thinking]

"It is not possible for anyone to understand the full text".

Then it's obvious that it SHOULDN'T be ratified, yes?

[expatpat]

"It is not possible for anyone to understand the full text".

Not even I, Giscard, nor the brave Jacques, understand this piece of merde!

[Iron Matron]

Our own open borders elites won't make this mistake when they create the North American Union.

George W. Bush: "Ouch!"

[DManA]

Hope you've also got a good lawyer. You could be going to jail for all you know.

I often sign 488 page legal documents that not only I don't understand, but it is impossible for anyone to understand.

[newgeezer]

It seems like the 'general welfare' clause would have benefitted from some clarification. As it is, it means anything anyone wants it to mean.

Some of what you call "complexity" is good. There's often a valid reason for legalese in legal documents (other than to give lawyers a reason to exist).

[night reader]

I am often faced with State Constitutional issues I don't understand and candidates with whom I am not familiar. Here are my rules for dealing with such variables.
1. If I don't understand it, vote no.
2. If it's a partisan election, I vote against communists, socialists, and demonrats (I know, I repeat myself.)
3. If it's a non-partisan election, vote against the incumbent.
4. If there is no incumbent, vote against any "non-American sounding" names, especially against non-northern European sounding names.
5. If the newspaper shows pictures, vote for the candidate who looks the most like me.

[RS]

"It seems like the 'general welfare' clause would have benefitted from some clarification. As it is, it means anything anyone wants it to mean."

Might have been better if it had just been left out altogether - it just added to the complexity.

[cdrw]

Fact is stranger than fiction. You just couldn't make this stuff up.

[Lukasz]

Unbelievable perfidy and arrogance. But I’m glad that he said that, I hope that his statement will spread around the Europe...