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	French referendum on the European Constitution - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
		On 29 May 2005 a referendum was held in France to decide whether the country should ratify the proposed Constitution of the European Union.
		France was the first country to reject the Constitution, and the second country to go to the polls in a referendum on ratification, after a Spanish referendum approved the treaty by a wide margin in February 2005.
		Another factor in the defeat of the Constitution may have been the linking of the Constitution in the minds of voters with the possibility of the accession of Turkey to the European Union, with which most of the French population disagrees.
	en.wikipedia.org /wiki/French_referendum_on_the_European_Constitution (1179 words)

	BBC NEWS \| Europe \| French say firm 'No' to EU treaty
		French voters have overwhelmingly rejected the European Union's proposed constitution in a key referendum.
		The vote could deal a fatal blow to the EU constitution, which needs to be ratified by all 25 member states.
		Eight national referendums are still to come, including one in the Netherlands on Wednesday, where the "No" side is leading the opinion polls.
	news.bbc.co.uk /2/hi/europe/4592243.stm (521 words)

	French referendum on European constitution: the official debate (Site not responding. Last check: 2007-11-05)
		French Foreign Minister Michel Barnier, a trusted friend of Chirac, declared that the referendum was the means by which the French people would decide whether they wanted a “European Europe” or a “Europe under American influence.” Should the constitution be rejected, he argued, France would suffer a decline in its international influence.
		The European constitution was to be the pinnacle of this process, consolidating economic integration and crowning it with political integration.
		The present European constitution is only a poor version of the original draft, which granted Berlin and Paris far more weight and possibilities for forcing their will through majority decisions.
	www.wsws.org /articles/2005/may2005/fran-m26.shtml (3164 words)

	French ‘Non’ Threatens European Unity - Worldpress.org
		France, one of founding members of the European Union, seems poised to reject Europe’s landmark constitution in a referendum on May 29.
		In a sign of panic, the French government tried in late March to buy a “yes” vote in the referendum on the European Union constitution by offering inflation-linked wage increases to roughly five million public employees.
		The French press derided the format of the two-hour television program: it was stage-managed by Chirac’s daughter and hosted by talk-show celebrities rather than political journalists (with the exception of TF1’s Patrick Poivre d’Arvor).
	www.worldpress.org /print_article.cfm?article_id=2188&dont=yes (1046 words)

	Project for the New American Century
		In this respect, the leftists rallying in Paris against the constitution last Wednesday were right to insist that their "No" was "A hopeful No." This is a moment of hope--for the prospects for a strong, pro-American, pro-liberty, more or less free-market and free-trade, socially and morally reinvigorated Europe.
		One of the constitution's features is a nonrotating EU president and foreign minister that, the pro-constitution argument goes, would provide the U.S. with a more effective partner on the world stage.
		But the European elites that created the problem — and that recently expanded the EU from 15 to 25 members without consulting the public — have not found a way to write a constitution to solve it.
	www.newamericancentury.org /europe-20050531.htm (1249 words)

	Editorial: France's 'non' / Construction is stalled on the European Union (Site not responding. Last check: 2007-11-05)
		The duel in the French referendum on the European Union constitution between the "oui-ists" and the "non-ists" ended Sunday night with a resounding 55 percent "no" vote.
		What is not clear is whether the outcome was due to straight French objections to the substance of the constitution, general unease about France's being drawn more closely to the bosom of Europe or just plain exasperation with the government of President Jacques Chirac and Prime Minister Jean-Pierre Raffarin for its domestic policies.
		Getting the constitution to its present state was a long, laborious process; modifying it enough to permit the Chirac government to take it back to the French electorate would be a nearly impossible short-term task.
	www.post-gazette.com /pg/05152/513451.stm (422 words)

	The French referendum on the European Constitution (Site not responding. Last check: 2007-11-05)
		However, knowledge about the constitution is widespread, and newspapers such as the Sun as spreading lies about it such as that it will force Britain to abolish the pound.
		The substance of the constitution could be described in much less text, by removing the more "aspirational" statements within it, and writing it more simply and clearly.
		The second problem is related to the first; it is that the European Constitution, and to some extent the European Union itself, is considered a project of elites rather than of the European peoples.
	www.cabalamat.org /weblog/art_599.html (699 words)

	danieldrezner.com :: Daniel W. Drezner :: One week left to say "Oui"
		Because the constitution at least increases the possibility of Turkish membership while the opponents to the constitution also tend to be implacable opponents of Turkish membership, often on highly sectarian and/or nationalist grounds.
		When the US constitution was written, the different interests of the various states compelled the framers to keep the document short and to the point- so much so that the bill of rights was added as an amendment, not part of the core document.
		The EU constitution seems to take the opposite approach- instead of being a minimalist document that only touches on matters on which a consensus exists, there seem to be many, many examples of pandering to various lobbies and ideologies in an attempt to secure their support for it's passage.
	www.danieldrezner.com /archives/002081.html (5093 words)

	Commentary: Europe’s Statist Nightmare — Beginning of the End?
		Certainly, the vote against the EU constitution was not wholly motivated by a reaction against the welfare state — many voters were hoping to preserve it and their privileges.
		Their rejection of the EU constitution is primarily for pocketbook reasons that have little or nothing to do with national pride or sense of statehood.
		French people voted NO because, right or wrong, they perceived that EU is always going in favor of more economical liberalism, threatening the benefits of the wellfare states.
	www.acton.org /ppolicy/comment/article.php?id=270 (1001 words)

	Europe - The French EU Referendum
		Even if the French or any other State Health service is allowed to continue, the requirement that such services give access to all citizens in the EU will encourage citizens in EU States with rudimentary services to travel to such countries with dire financial consequences for States providing high quality public services.
		The other approach is to pretend that the Referendum is a vote on Europe and if the Referendum is not carried it will be the end of Europe and life as we know it.
		So if a government such as the French government has a policy of a 35 hour week employers can ignore this law and claim in the European Court that French law is denying workers the freedom to work longer hours.
	www.atholbooks.org /europe/fr_referendum.php (1825 words)

	Simon Upton - upton on line - The aftermath of the French referendum European Constitution; Stuart McMillan explores ...
		The aftermath of the French referendum on the European Constitution; and Stuart McMillan explores the NZ/Australia security relationship in an address to the NZ Institute of International Affairs.
		French EU policy is predominantly concerned with its own influence and the common agricultural policy; the rest is silence.
		On the other hand, the French referendum has unleashed some pretty visceral currents of thinking and the extent to which they spread may be much more the long term worry.
	www.arcadia.co.nz /uptononline/2005/june_2_2005.htm (4008 words)

	Chirac and Socialists Reel After a Debate on Europe - New York Times
		President Jacques Chirac cast his vote on the European constitution in the southwestern town of Sarran.
		French and European Union flags flew in Toulouse recently.
		Chirac, the main proponent of the charter, could have ratified the constitution by a parliamentary vote, but under pressure from rivals in his party demanding a popular vote, he decided last year to call for a referendum.
	www.nytimes.com /2005/05/29/international/europe/29france.html?ex=1275019200&en=619ba591da915213&ei=5088&partner=rssnyt&emc=rss (1019 words)

	::French Referendum::
		On May 29th 2005, the French had a referendum on the European Constitution.
		For the constitution to come into force, all member states in the EU have to ratify it.
		It is generally accepted by many in Britain that the French rejection of the European Constitution has all but killed it off in its current form.
	www.historylearningsite.co.uk /french_referendum.htm (386 words)

	Supporters of EU pact look overseas - The Washington Times: World - May 08, 2005 (Site not responding. Last check: 2007-11-05)
		PARIS -- The French referendum on the European Union Constitution may depend on voters in a string of palm-fringed islands thousands of miles from Paris.
		With the referendum on May 29 too close to call, "Yes" campaigners are wooing the 1.2 million voters in France's overseas departments and territories.
		French President Jacques Chirac knows well that hundreds of thousands of overseas "Yes" votes in 1992 saved the government over the referendum to ratify the Maastricht treaty.
	www.washtimes.com /world/20050507-115356-2531r.htm (539 words)

	European Cooperation
		European Cooperation / The Netherlands and the EU / Dutch referendum on EU constitution
		On 1 June 2005, a referendum on the European Constitutional Treaty was held in the Netherlands at the initiative of the House of Representatives.
		Dutch voters were asked to answer yes or no to the question: "Are you in favour of the Netherlands ratifying the treaty establishing a constitution for Europe?" 61,6 % voted against the constitution.
	www.minbuza.nl /?CMS_ITEM=D010BDDBE6FC4F159D1AB36F33566600X1X41793X88 (107 words)

	EURSOC: The Vote That Dare Not Speak Its Name
		The French referendum on the European constitution is quickly developing into one of those contests where you dearly wish both sides could lose.
		They are aggrieved that the French and the Germans cynically destroyed the single currency stability pact - France's prime minister even said that his country was "too important" to abide by the little people's rules.
		Sarko has been criticised for not supporting the constitution with sufficient passion: A defeat for president Chirac would be no bad thing for his probable rival in the 2007 election, went the rumour.
	www.eursoc.com /news/fullstory.php/aid/777 (929 words)

	macroblog: The EU Constitution (Or Not) Once More
		Lynne points to an article on the subject in the Economist that, among other things suggests a French "non" doesn't spell the end for the constitution's future, let alone that of further economic integration as some have suggested.
		Were the French to vote no, however, the British, like the Dutch, might ditch their referendum.
		One might be to keep the treaty’s “constitutional” sections, including the charter of fundamental rights, as well as the changes in the EU’s voting system and the Union's institutions, while cutting the section dealing with the EU’s policies in detail.
	macroblog.typepad.com /macroblog/2005/04/the_eu_constitu.html (1481 words)

	Non to the constitutionor to enlargement? (Site not responding. Last check: 2007-11-05)
		The French referendum on the European constitution, planned for May 29, is getting closer and the No vote is ahead in the polls.
		With the launch of the process of European integration in the 1950s it was precisely on such trust that our forbears decided to build an alternative peace to the one promised by a global balance of power premised on nuclear threats.
		This draft constitution is one chance, perhaps the last, for us to re-establish trust in Europe, in a shared project and a common text which, let’s not forget, has been signed by all 25 governments.
	www.cafebabel.com /en/article.asp?T=T&Id=3690 (953 words)

	France Rejects European Constitution
		PARIS, May 29 -- Unhappy French voters on Sunday derailed plans to further erase political and economic barriers in Europe, decisively rejecting the proposed European constitution and thumbing their noses at the country's governing elite, which had pleaded for approval of the measure.
		Turnout for the referendum on a European constitution was high, as was the margin of defeat for a measure supported by the nation's governing elite.
		The French vote does not mean the end of the European Union, which will continue to function under rules adopted by treaty in 2000.
	www.washingtonpost.com /wp-dyn/content/article/2005/05/29/AR2005052900644.html (692 words)

	BBC NEWS \| Europe \| European press review
		The French "No" to the EU constitution in Sunday's referendum dominates today's European press, with many papers leading on its rejection by some 55% of voters.
		Even before the result, many European papers were explaining the reasons for the impending "No" vote.
		Germany's Sueddeutsche Zeitung said the prospect of a "No" vote in the French referendum on the European constitution is a sign of hostility towards recent developments in the EU.
	news.bbc.co.uk /2/hi/europe/4592661.stm (948 words)

	ZNet \|Europe \| French Vote on European Constitution
		In the referendum in Sweden 1994, to join or not to join the European Union the strongest argument was that âweâ (the government and big business) were going to make the EU more like Sweden.
		In the referendum campaign in France, the French have been told that the European Constitution actually is the French, slightly enlarged.
		The constitution clearly speaks about a military union and states that the nation states have to increase military expenses in their national budgets (without an end date which means that military expenses should grow eternally).
	www.zmag.org /content/showarticle.cfm?SectionID=74&ItemID=7963 (1398 words)

	Don't be swayed by French EU result, Dutch minister tells voters - EUbusiness - EU law, politics and finance (Site not responding. Last check: 2007-11-05)
		Foreign Minister Ben Bot urged Dutch voters not be influenced by the results of Sunday's French referendum on the European constitution treaty when they vote on the same issue three days later.
		The Dutch are due to vote in a non-binding referendum on the text Wednesday, with supporters of the treaty fearing that a French "no," which last-minute opinion polls predicted, would boost treaty rejectionists in the Netherlands.
		"The constitution treaty is not a miracle remedy, but it will allow the European Union to work better and the union to be more democratic," he said.
	www.eubusiness.com /Netherlands/050529123624.m5xrpfqm (382 words)

	WIRED TEMPLES - Malta on the Web: A pro-European NO?
		Hours away from the French vote on the European Constitution, here is some reading material for reflection: Paul Virilio on why the practice of holding a referendum on a subject like the European constitution is suicidal (and more), and here's a EU referendum cheat sheet.
		From Sign and Sight, Jean Baudrillard describes the French referendum on the European constitution as a farce and as state terrorism, and here's the open letter from German intellectuals to France originally published in Le Monde.
		The debate on the Constitution illustrates not only the formidable challenge in arranging referenda on such a complex issue as this legal document, but also the general mistrust in politicians and apathy towards the political process.
	www.maltamedia.net /wt/2005/05/pro-european-no.html (436 words)

	macroblog: The French Referendum And The Future Of The Euro
		It is almost impossible to overstate the importance of the French referendum on the European constitution for the future of the European Union.
		Without the prospect of eventual political union on the basis of some constitutional treaty, a single currency was always difficult to justify, and it might turn out to be even more difficult to sustain...
		For many observers, the answer to this is often predicated on a historical precedent, namely the fact that the French refusal of the Communauté Européenne de Défense (CED, European Military Union) in the 1950's signified the end of plans for military union for a good 50 years.
	macroblog.typepad.com /macroblog/2005/04/the_french_refe.html (1387 words)

	John O'Sullivan: No EU Constitution, No Problem for U.S. (Site not responding. Last check: 2007-11-05)
		Rotterdam, Holland – With almost the whole of Europe fixated on the result of next Sunday's French referendum on the European constitution, the Dutch are feeling distinctly neglected.
		As a result, they are likely to vote against the constitution in their referendum — perhaps by a margin as high as 2-1.
		What the French "no" voters object to in the constitution is its high-minded, idealistic rhetoric about free trade -- which has been in every EU treaty since the treaty of Rome -- rather than the practical fine print that transfers so many powers to their fellow-regulators in Brussels.
	www.freerepublic.com /focus/f-news/1409497/posts (878 words)

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