[jdege]

This could be a "positive solution", said M Chirac. "I am not against the idea of using methods of friendly persuasion with countries that are refusing the constitution, because that blocks all the others."

How about a real federal constitution, with accountability, seperation of powers, checks and balances, and recognition of fundamental individual rights?

[longtermmemmory]

They do not want a true federal republic. Chirac and the eurocrats are trying to establish the aristocracy of the unelected and unremovable beareaucrat.

The French and Germans have to have all nations subserve themselves to the euro currency in order to fulfill the EU's promise of replacing the USA as the world's superpower. This means surrendering sovereignty to the EU.

If the EU was serious about a constitution they would demand all nations surrender their foreign policy to the EU and ONLY the EU could speak for all in front of such bodies as the UN.

Chirac probably wants England out. France has to hide the oil for food debacle.

[SauronOfMordor]

How about a real federal constitution, with accountability, seperation of powers, checks and balances, and recognition of fundamental individual rights?

The Europeans are skittish about giving their people anything like 2nd Amendment rights. Without an armed populace that can give the govt troops something to think about, a written constitution is at most a nicely written scrap of paper that can be ignored

At some point, read the 1936 Constitution of the USSR, and reflect how much it restrained Stalin. For a good laugh, look at Chapter 10 on the rights of citizens:

ARTICLE 125. In conformity with the interests of the working people, and in order to strengthen the socialist system, the citizens of the U.S.S.R. are guaranteed by law:

1. freedom of speech;
2. freedom of the press;
3. freedom of assembly, including the holding of mass meetings;
4. reedom of street processions and demonstrations.

These civil rights are ensured by placing at the disposal of the working people and their organizations printing presses, stocks of paper, public buildings, the streets, communications facilities and other material requisites for the exercise of these rights.