Official EU Statement on the "French Rejection"

Europa ^

[Shortwave]

Joint Declaration of President of the European Parliament Josep Borrell Fontelles, President of the European Council Jean-Claude Juncker and President of the European Commission José Manuel Barroso on the results of the French Referendum on the European Constitutional Treaty

"The French voters have today, Sunday 29 May, chosen to say no to the ratification of the Constitutional treaty. We take note of this.

We regret this choice, coming as it does from a Member State that has been for the last 50 years one of the essential motors of the building of our common future.

We completely respect the expression of the democratic will that has made itself felt at the end of an intense debate. The result of the French referendum deserves a profound analysis, in the first instance, on the part of the French authorities. The Institutions of the European Union should also, for their part, reflect on the results of the collected ratification processes.

It is important to remember that nine Member States, representing almost half (49%) of the European population have already ratified the Constitutional Treaty, in one case on the basis of a broadly positive referendum and that the majority of Member States have not yet had the opportunity to complete the ratification process.

The tenor of the debate in France, and the result of the referendum also reinforce our conviction that the relevant national and European politicians must do more to explain the true scale of what is at stake, and the nature of the answers that only Europe can offer. We continue to believe that a response at thee European level remains the best and the most effective in the face of accelerating global change.

We must ask ourselves how each among us – national governments, European institutions, political parties, social partners, civil society – can contribute to a better understanding of this project, which cannot have its own legitimacy without listening to its citizens.

The building of Europe is, by its nature, complex. Europe has already known difficult moments and it has every time emerged from them strengthened, better than before, ready to face its challenges and its responsibilities. Today Europe continues, and its institutions function fully. We are aware of the difficulties, but we have confidence that once again we will find the means to move the European Union forward. Together, we are determined to contribute to this."

[expatpat]

Spain

[AntiBurr]

"President of the European Council Jean-Claude Juncker"

"Spoken in the true and peculiar vernacular of the Globalist Elites."

"Being the bulwark of the Hohenzollern Empire, the Junkers controlled the military, leading in political influence and social status, and owning immense Estates. Their political influence extended from the German Empire of 1871 to 1918 through the Weimar Republic of 1919-1933. It was said that Prussia ruled Germany, the Junkers ruled Prussia, and through it the Empire itself."

So what else is new?

[goldstategop]

Uh huh. What a convoluted bureautcratic statement. Eurocrats really have no idea what Europeans want. So they'll go ahead and do what what they think is best for them. No humility there.

(Denny Crane: "Sometimes you can only look for answers from God and failing that... and Fox News".)

[Sivad]

Then, again, maybe the French understand what the great
American, Groucho Marx, once observed:

"I wouldn't want to belong to an organization that would
have me for a member."