LIVE Thread: France votes on EU Constitution [Schadenfreude Alert]

Various ^ | May 29, 2005 | nwrep

[nwrep]

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Initial reports show a turnout of 25%. Last polls before voting began show the No vote leading by 56% to 44%.

[Bahbah]

I guess in France democracy means: "Citizens shall vote until the desired outcome"

It's pretty much what we do here for local tax increases.

[July 4th]

Polls close in most major cities at 10pm, France time. That makes it 3pm Central, 4pm Eastern.

TV5, which is carried on many US digital cable systems and on US satellite, has a French-language special starting 15 minutes before the polls close.

If you have CNN International on your system, that will probably also have some coverage. BBC World will cover it too, as well as Euronews.

The 25% turnout number was the percentage of voters who have turned out so far, so expect final turnout to be much higher.

[jimbo123]

[July 4th]

Reports are that the turnout will be much higher than expected. The official figure was that 25% of the electorate had already turnout by noon-time. Figure are showing turnout higher than when the French voted on the Maastricht treaty.

Results have shown massive abstentions in the French overseas territories, which were expected to vote largely in favor of the constitution.

[keat]

Oui, GMT+2, So it's about 6PM Sunday in France. Polls close at 10PM. I would expect sparse coverage at best by the MSM when this thing goes down as it most likely will.

Good synopsis here from bbc news. I wish our media could give the straight facts like this:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/4483817.stm

[Betaille]

Why does the ambassador from Germany have no head in that cartoon?

[Ganndy]

The polls close @ 10:00 in Paris and Lyons...2100GMT...doing the calculation from Gate's we are -800GMT here on the west coast...which means 14:00 (Pacific time)...results are expected 2230 GMT...1530 my time...My humble calculation

Out

[The Spirit Of Allegiance]

A French NO effectively forces them to go back to the drawing board, although what they will do after that is unclear. No one really has thought this through.

There are many GOOD people in France, the EU-friendly MSM stifles Conservative voices there too.

I suggest that the French again 'storm the Bastille' and throw the Derriere out on his Chirac, or vice versa. Let him eat votes.

[CasearianDaoist]

Because he lost it?

[oceanview]

regardelss of these polls, expect a YES vote on this. the euro elite power structure has too much riding on the EU, they will do anything to rig this vote.

[MadIvan]

The French political elites, known by the generic term, the "enarques" (The "ENA" in the term stands for Ecole Nationale d'Administration - the university that much of the French elite comes from) - need a good kicking. They have become arrogant and isolated from the vast mass of the French populace. If France is not to become a museum of a country, locked in perpetual decline, they need to ditch these elites and elevate people who are more in touch with the realities of present day France to run it.

This concept of an out of touch elite dictating to the majority is the same governing principle in Brussels - the EU Constitution is a document which reinforces this principle. Liberty demands that this document, and the ideas upon which it is based, is thoroughly repudiated.

Regards, Ivan

[Chgogal]

Oh la la!

Hope this is a good day for Poland. :)

[SandRat]

Speaking of votes on the EU. Has Great Britain voted on it yet?

What are the polls there leaning towards?

Are the polls anymore trustworthy there than here in the states?

What's the general mood in Britain about the EU?

[July 4th]

France is GMT+2 in the summer. click

[MadIvan]

No, we're not due to vote on it until later this year. However if the French (and / or the Dutch) reject it, we won't bother.

The polls in Britain are leaning heavily towards rejecting it, and most people regard the EU as expensive, bureaucratic and out of touch. Which is obviously correct.

Regards, Ivan

[Chgogal]

Schroeder lost big time last weekend.....

[Ganndy]

...throw the Derriere out on his Chirac, or vice versa. Let him eat votes.

...from the NY times (barf)
... The upshot is that France faces a long political season of account-settling at home - in addition to the reckoning it faces with its European partners if voters reject the treaty on Sunday. The morning after is likely to be hardest for Mr. Chirac, who just passed his 10th anniversary as president. Recently, he has seen his approval rating nose dive to 32 percent, tying his record low....

They talk about the yes votes first, then forget about the nays...I get very confused trying to read the Times...got to rinse out my eyballs...

Out

[Paleo Conservative]

The polls in Britain are leaning heavily towards rejecting it, and most people regard the EU as expensive, bureaucratic and out of touch. Which is obviously correct.

But does this mean the EUrocrats will just ignore the votes and implement it anyway?

[basil]

From your mouth to God's ear!

[Ganndy]

So Gate's computer is wrong again...doesn't suprise me!

Thanks