NON?!?! WTF???
When I heard that people were putting bets on the EU Constitution referendum in France, I only just managed to stop myself from rushing off to the betting station. Here was a situation where I had insider knowledge.. or so I thought. Having been to France and seen how striking was the national past-time and the dreaded 'Anglo-Saxon' the national satan.. I was so sure that the French were going to say yes.
Because it doesn't get much more non-Anglo-Saxon than this. The constitution includes a Charter of Fundamental Rights including a right to employment and 'just' working conditions. Not only that, but it dilutes the voting rights of the new EU members (largely seen to be pro-America). In fact, Tony Blair's 'yes' strategy was going to be to say that the text was just for show and none of it would come true!
Plus the French have done this before. Opinion polls showed the French public saying no all the way up to the referendum on the Maastricht Treaty. However, in the end they voted yes. The French often like to stand out in bold defiance just to prove that they are capable of standing. However, in the end they come to realise that voting is for 'real' and vote in the best interests of France.
Well, that was the theory anyway..
There are several reasons (if you can call them that) for the French 'non' vote:
* The Treaty is an instrument of American imperialism even though it was written by a former President of France.
* The Treaty doesn't get rid of those pesky new EU members with radical ideas such as 'low taxes' and 'working for a living'
* This is a protest vote against Jacques Chirac. Because like all good student union protests this vote will have little to no impact on its subject.
* This is a protest vote against French economic stagnation. The French would like to make it clear that stagnation is not good.
* The French are disillusioned with the EU and want a new more social EU.. which apparently doesn't include: the right to employment, strike, just working conditions, social welfare, free healthcare, and a clean environment.
* The French think that the right to food guaranteed by the constitution means that Turkey will almost certainly have to be accepted into the EU 'through the backdoor'.
Because it doesn't get much more non-Anglo-Saxon than this. The constitution includes a Charter of Fundamental Rights including a right to employment and 'just' working conditions. Not only that, but it dilutes the voting rights of the new EU members (largely seen to be pro-America). In fact, Tony Blair's 'yes' strategy was going to be to say that the text was just for show and none of it would come true!
Plus the French have done this before. Opinion polls showed the French public saying no all the way up to the referendum on the Maastricht Treaty. However, in the end they voted yes. The French often like to stand out in bold defiance just to prove that they are capable of standing. However, in the end they come to realise that voting is for 'real' and vote in the best interests of France.
Well, that was the theory anyway..
There are several reasons (if you can call them that) for the French 'non' vote:
* The Treaty is an instrument of American imperialism even though it was written by a former President of France.
* The Treaty doesn't get rid of those pesky new EU members with radical ideas such as 'low taxes' and 'working for a living'
* This is a protest vote against Jacques Chirac. Because like all good student union protests this vote will have little to no impact on its subject.
* This is a protest vote against French economic stagnation. The French would like to make it clear that stagnation is not good.
* The French are disillusioned with the EU and want a new more social EU.. which apparently doesn't include: the right to employment, strike, just working conditions, social welfare, free healthcare, and a clean environment.
* The French think that the right to food guaranteed by the constitution means that Turkey will almost certainly have to be accepted into the EU 'through the backdoor'.
posted by Dileepa at 5:54 am
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