France votes

With over 80% of the vote in, 57% of the French people have voted to reject the proposed European Union Constitution. It must be noted, for the Constitution to take effect all 25 nations that comprise the EU must vote yes. This no vote by France makes that impossible unless Chirac, who is already unpopular, and other French pro-Constitution people try for a revote.

I really like this rationalisation from this article:

It's a reflection of Chirac's inability to connect with the electorate and not just Chirac, but the Opposition as well. The reason is that neither the Right nor the Left in France has been able to explain the modern world to the French people ...

In other words the average French citizen is mired in the past and is not sophisticated enough to operate in the 'modern' world. Great way to win people over to your point of view, perhaps that revolution is not far off what with French vinters fire-bombing government offices.

But the writer does agree with me on the proposed constitution not surviving because France voted no, but he then goes on to insult the Netherlands and the Czech Republic for being small countries and not a pillar of the EU like France is. Along with a dig at the British:

It could even survive Britain rejecting it, because Britain usually rejects everything.

And finally at the end is an attempt to downplay the consequences of this no vote as they paint the proposed constitution as merely tinkering and improving upon the Nice and Maastricth treaties. At 317 pages, this not merely tinkering and improving; it is a broadening of everything in those treaties as it formalizes the quasi-government bureaucrats as actual government functionaries and in delineates what this European Union actually does. This is a slap in the face of such French statesmen as Valery Giscard d'Estaing[who helped write the document] and President of France Chirac who tirelessly championed it. And if they, the bureaucrats of the EU, try to get France to perform a second vote then France will be going back on the public word of French Prime Minister Raffarin.

I must say bravo to the people of France. They did not like what this document represented and instead of surrendering their inalienable right for self-determination as their political elites urged them to do, they voted no. And in the process striking a peaceful blow for democracy.

Now the ball is in the people of Netherlands' hands. May wisdom and a love of freedom guide their vote. A no vote in the Netherlands is very possible, but only if the people stay motivated and turn out to vote. Two no votes in rapid succession by two of the founding members of the European Union just may kill this constitution and force the creation of a document the 25 nations can actually live with.