France overwhelmingly rejects EU constitution
Defeat a rebuff to Chirac's leadership, European integration

Pascal Le Segretain / Getty Images
Jean-Marie le Pen, a right-wing political leader, casts his vote Sunday in Paris. After the votes were in, Le Pen said French president Jacques Chirac “wanted to gamble ... and he has lost.”
MSNBC News Services
Updated: 6:04 p.m. ET May 29, 2005PARIS - French voters rejected the European Union’s first constitution Sunday, a stinging repudiation of President Jacques Chirac’s leadership and the ambitious, decades-long effort to further unite the continent.

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Chirac, who urged voters to approve the charter, announced the result in a brief, televised address. He said the process of ratifying the treaty would continue in other EU countries.

“It is your sovereign decision, and I take note,” Chirac said. “Make no mistake, France’s decision inevitably creates a difficult context for the defense of our interests in Europe.”

With 92 percent of votes counted, the treaty was rejected by 56.14 percent of voters, the Interior Ministry said. It was supported by 43.86 percent.

Treaty opponents chanting “We won!” gathered at Paris’ Place de la Bastille, a symbol of rebellion where angry crowds in 1789 stormed the Bastille prison and sparked the French Revolution. Cars blared their horns and “no” campaigners thrust their arms into the air.

For some, ‘a great victory’
“This is a great victory,” said Fabrice Savel, 38, from the working class suburb of Aubervilliers. He was distributing posters that read: “Non to a free-market Europe.”

EU leaders in Brussels, Belgium, vowed to continue their effort to have the constitution approved.

All 25 EU members must ratify the text for it to take effect as planned by Nov. 1, 2006. Nine already have done so: Austria, Hungary, Italy, Germany, Greece, Lithuania, Slovakia, Slovenia and Spain.

The Dutch vote Wednesday, with polls showing opposition to the constitution there running at about 60 percent. On Friday, the constitution’s main architect, former French President Valery Giscard d’Estaing, said countries that reject the treaty will be asked to vote again.

France’s rejection could set the continent’s plans back by years. The nation was a primary architect of European unity.

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MSNBC.com: French vote felt across Europe



Punishment for Chirac
Such a heavy defeat in a country that has long been one of the main pillars of the EU reduces the chances of a repeat vote, which French leaders had ruled out anyway before the referendum.

Many voters wanted to punish Chirac and his conservative government over unemployment that is at a 5-year high of 10.2 percent and other economic problems. Other critics were angry at what they saw as France’s declining role in the Union.

In fact, French far-right leader Jean-Marie Le Pen and EU skeptic Philippe de Villiers urged Chirac to quit after television projections showed France had rejected the constitution.

“There is no more constitution,” leading opponent de Villiers said. “It is necessary to reconstruct Europe on other foundations that don’t currently exist.”

Le Pen calls for resignation
Chirac “wanted to gamble ... and he has lost,” Le Pen said, alluding to Chirac’s decision not to submit the charter to sure approval by parliament. The EU constitution can be adopted either by a referendum or a nation’s legislature.

Chirac, 72, said before the referendum that he would not quit after the vote. But Le Pen called on Chirac to “draw the normal consequences.”

Chirac is expected to dismiss unpopular Prime Minister Jean-Pierre Raffarin. Interior Minister Dominique de Villepin leads the race to replace him ahead of Defense Minister Michele Alliot-Marie and center-right party leader Nicolas Sarkozy.

The Associated Press and Reuters contributed to this report.

i voted YES ...

damn those communists , they are always against EVERYTHING . i can understand far right people who wanted to protect FRANCE independancy and freedom of speach (the one that annoys you so much PDBS ;) )

but damn we were voting for Europe , not against the prime minister or president chirac . president chirac shouldnt have gambled , now the worst people in france , the far right and the communists , are stronger . DAMN !

pbds , i assume youre not into french political affairs and you posted this just to celebrate the defeat of president chirac , who standed against the war in irak ?(like germany and russia did BTW)

tino, even though a lot of the people that voted NO were jackasses, this might still work out to France's advantage. For years now EU policy has catered to Britain because it has made a point since the Thatcher years to be the whiniest country in the union. So it gets certain privleges because otherwise it threatens to pull out which would seriously damage EU integrity. Plus it seems like the EU was going more towards a more British-favoured free trade union and away from a France-favoured political union, for the same reaons

Now that France is the troublemaker the EU will have to pay more attention to it, meaning that France-favoured policies have a better chance of passing.

Sort of a backwards-ass way of getting things done, but it's worked for the UK for so many years.

that ****ing sucks.

the Euro is majorly screwed now.

why did they even let people vote on that?

pbds , i assume youre not into french political affairs and you posted this just to celebrate the defeat of president chirac , who standed against the war in irak ?(like germany and russia did BTW)

...Actually, I just thought it was an interesting article and our friends on boxingscene from across the water may have some enlightening comments and insight on the matter. :) I didn't have an opinion on it one way or the other.

A lot of people in the UK, myself included, are ignorant as to what the constitutuion means and how it affects our lives. However, many people, myself included,do not want to have our life governed by people I never voted for or against. We want to keep our imperial system of weights and measures, i want to buy 5 pounds of potatoes, not 2.25 Kg or whatever. I want a pint of beer, not half a litre. i don't want another country dictating how many refugees we take in, our armed forces policy. Can you imagine a European army? Pity the poor country being hassled whilst the rest of the clan either voted to unilaterally surrender, abstain or send a token force of a coupole of hundred soldiers.

Europe? No thanks. Nice place to visit and trade with but you can keep your legislation.

Lol

A lot of people in the UK, myself included, are ignorant as to what the constitutuion means and how it affects our lives. However, many people, myself included,do not want to have our life governed by people I never voted for or against. We want to keep our imperial system of weights and measures, i want to buy 5 pounds of potatoes, not 2.25 Kg or whatever. I want a pint of beer, not half a litre. i don't want another country dictating how many refugees we take in, our armed forces policy. Can you imagine a European army? Pity the poor country being hassled whilst the rest of the clan either voted to unilaterally surrender, abstain or send a token force of a coupole of hundred soldiers.

Europe? No thanks. Nice place to visit and trade with but you can keep your legislation.

Lol

Yeah, who needs Europe when you can have the UK, with its longer work weeks, higher crime rate, and larger disparity between rich and poor? Who needs social benefits when you can lay people off and throw them on the street and not pay them a dime? Who needs state-run trains that are fast on run on time when you can have a dozen piddly companies running their broken down choo-choos on rusty rails? Ya, who needs it?

haha, I'm just kidding around with you, wanted to stir things up a bit :D . Good point about the EU army, anyway, I never thought about it like that.

Yeah, who needs Europe when you can have the UK, with its longer work weeks, higher crime rate, and larger disparity between rich and poor? Who needs social benefits when you can lay people off and throw them on the street and not pay them a dime? Who needs state-run trains that are fast on run on time when you can have a dozen piddly companies running their broken down choo-choos on rusty rails? Ya, who needs it?.
You may joke man, but the UK is starting to get it self into a f**kin' mess... And to be honest with you, I don't particulary like living in the UK anymore.

The UK has become a ratrace society, and everyone is becoming stressed out! Crazy property market that has singled out the 1st time buyer like myself... And working 8:00a.m.-6:00p.m. everyday is crap!

I have started to look into emmigration to a more relaxed country. :rolleyes: Where I can go scuba diving and have breaks, and just enjoy things a bit more than stressing about not having enough hours in the day to do everything.

You may joke man, but the UK is starting to get it self into a f**kin' mess... And to be honest with you, I don't particulary like living in the UK anymore.

The UK has become a ratrace society, and everyone is becoming stressed out! Crazy property market that has singled out the 1st time buyer like myself... And working 8:00a.m.-6:00p.m. everyday is crap!

I have started to look into emmigration to a more relaxed country. :rolleyes: Where I can go scuba diving and have breaks, and just enjoy things a bit more than stressing about not having enough hours in the day to do everything.

Hmm, interesting to hear. Well, don't try North America, people here have the same mentality. I'm lucky cause I work 7.5 hours a day and nothing more. Fortunately my work is easy and a lot of my co-workers are idiots, so I can work half as hard and still come out looking like gold.

Don't own a house, though, prices are ridiculous and sprawl means you'll be living out in the middle of nowhere.

What ever happened to the future where we would be working less? Somehow people have convinced us all to work even more than we used to like, 30 years ago.

i voted YES ...

damn those communists , they are always against EVERYTHING . i can understand far right people who wanted to protect FRANCE independancy and freedom of speach (the one that annoys you so much PDBS ;) )

but damn we were voting for Europe , not against the prime minister or president chirac . president chirac shouldnt have gambled , now the worst people in france , the far right and the communists , are stronger . DAMN !

Tino, I am sorry you did not win in the vote. I hope you will get to vote again and win. Tino, I am watching French Open tennis. I am so nervous! I need Marat Safin to win. He is my favorite tennis player! Tino, please help him win, because you are there in France! It is a very difficult!

A lot of people in the UK, myself included, are ignorant as to what the constitutuion means and how it affects our lives. However, many people, myself included,do not want to have our life governed by people I never voted for or against. We want to keep our imperial system of weights and measures, i want to buy 5 pounds of potatoes, not 2.25 Kg or whatever. I want a pint of beer, not half a litre. i don't want another country dictating how many refugees we take in, our armed forces policy. Can you imagine a European army? Pity the poor country being hassled whilst the rest of the clan either voted to unilaterally surrender, abstain or send a token force of a coupole of hundred soldiers.

Europe? No thanks. Nice place to visit and trade with but you can keep your legislation.

Lol


The constitution has nothing to do with the creation of a European Army???

Where did you get that?

And you need to grow up, a beer is a beer, doesn't matter what you call it.

Well I don't know about growing up bluebeard, or whatever the hell it is you call yourself during your playtime, but I never said the constitution had anything to do with a european army. I actually said I and many others are ignorant to it's full implications. However, a european armed force has been mooted many times. We already have metrification forced upon us through petrol (bought by the litre) and when we buy things such as fruit and veg. People have been jailed for refusing to sell their wares in metric units, despite the majority of people not relating to or caring what a demi-kilo of bacon is, but we'll take a pound of bacon thankyou. If a beer is a beer, then waht the hell does it matter if we keep it in pints, if it doesn't matter what we measure it in?

I know, let's hope for a homogenisation of North America and South America. You can lose your gallons, miles, dollars. You can have your independance neutered, your right to self determination removed. Also, you can have a huge bearucracy controlling it that is inherently corrupt (more so than governments usually are). Thi sbureacracy also changes between locations every month or so because the big hitters in the set up can't agree where it should be based. So every month everything, including millions of files, are driven hundreds of miles at a cost of milions a year. Your currency can become something obscure, such as the AmeriPeso. No more ben Franklins on your notes, just some strange symbol.

yeah, a homogenised, harmonised Europe would be a great thing. i know let's export this crap to the rest of the world. Oh wait, they already did that, it's called McDonalds.

Well I don't know about growing up bluebeard, or whatever the hell it is you call yourself during your playtime, but I never said the constitution had anything to do with a european army. I actually said I and many others are ignorant to it's full implications. However, a european armed force has been mooted many times. We already have metrification forced upon us through petrol (bought by the litre) and when we buy things such as fruit and veg. People have been jailed for refusing to sell their wares in metric units, despite the majority of people not relating to or caring what a demi-kilo of bacon is, but we'll take a pound of bacon thankyou. If a beer is a beer, then waht the hell does it matter if we keep it in pints, if it doesn't matter what we measure it in?

I know, let's hope for a homogenisation of North America and South America. You can lose your gallons, miles, dollars. You can have your independance neutered, your right to self determination removed. Also, you can have a huge bearucracy controlling it that is inherently corrupt (more so than governments usually are). Thi sbureacracy also changes between locations every month or so because the big hitters in the set up can't agree where it should be based. So every month everything, including millions of files, are driven hundreds of miles at a cost of milions a year. Your currency can become something obscure, such as the AmeriPeso. No more ben Franklins on your notes, just some strange symbol.

yeah, a homogenised, harmonised Europe would be a great thing. i know let's export this crap to the rest of the world. Oh wait, they already did that, it's called McDonalds.

Ya the American currency would be Awsome!

What is this corrupt goverment official ****?

You think if you change miles to Kilometers there is going to be some shady dealings behind closed doors?

Oh maybe you mean because of all the money that would be made by the ruler-manufacters that would need to make new rulers without inches, maybe they would bribe the government?

**** no. We need to get our **** changed. And nothing bad can come of it, except whinny people like you.

Come to think of it.

I'd even say I hope America could weasel it's way in, and get in on this Euro-thing. We were a European colony once, why the hell not?

I don't hear any constructive arguments or contradictions to the points I raised yet. Please, be a part of Europe, after all your official language was almost German.

Just a little extra thought for one from the land of the free, who export democracey to other nations whether the indiginous people want it or not (not a knock on USA foreigh policy, just a statement of fact). We might not even get to vote on whether or not we adopt the constitution, Blair might just say yes for us without asking us. can't see that going down well in the US, hardly constitutional, is it?

Just a little extra thought for one from the land of the free, who export democracey to other nations whether the indiginous people want it or not (not a knock on USA foreigh policy, just a statement of fact). We might not even get to vote on whether or not we adopt the constitution, Blair might just say yes for us without asking us. can't see that going down well in the US, hardly constitutional, is it?


Here's hoping.

The average idot shouldn't have a right to vote on something like this.

I realize that it's hard changing your pint to a liter, but in terms of long term it's alot easier to have one system and never needing to learn conversions and things like that.

Unity is always better. So many of the things that are being discussed are so ****ing minor is unbelievable, but its about long term aggreements that ultimatly break down the barriers that lead to things like war.

If you have a serious reason to oppose this it's one thing, but if you really would vote no, because you want your beer to be a pint, or (like the french) you just hate your president, then you don't deserve the right to vote.

I bow to your superior reasoning and intellect. I've learnt my lesson. I shall continue to cherish my pint whilst it exists and abstain from any voting process I don't fully understand.

Well I don't know about growing up bluebeard, or whatever the hell it is you call yourself during your playtime, but I never said the constitution had anything to do with a european army. I actually said I and many others are ignorant to it's full implications. However, a european armed force has been mooted many times. We already have metrification forced upon us through petrol (bought by the litre) and when we buy things such as fruit and veg. People have been jailed for refusing to sell their wares in metric units, despite the majority of people not relating to or caring what a demi-kilo of bacon is, but we'll take a pound of bacon thankyou. If a beer is a beer, then waht the hell does it matter if we keep it in pints, if it doesn't matter what we measure it in?

I know, let's hope for a homogenisation of North America and South America. You can lose your gallons, miles, dollars. You can have your independance neutered, your right to self determination removed. Also, you can have a huge bearucracy controlling it that is inherently corrupt (more so than governments usually are). Thi sbureacracy also changes between locations every month or so because the big hitters in the set up can't agree where it should be based. So every month everything, including millions of files, are driven hundreds of miles at a cost of milions a year. Your currency can become something obscure, such as the AmeriPeso. No more ben Franklins on your notes, just some strange symbol.

yeah, a homogenised, harmonised Europe would be a great thing. i know let's export this crap to the rest of the world. Oh wait, they already did that, it's called McDonalds.


....I hear exactly what your saying and I agree with most of it. It's like the rest of the world wanting the US to give up some if not most of our power and bend over for the ****ing UN(ha ha ha ha ha) and let a bunch of foreigners dictate our policy. Get the **** out of here with that ****. When you have been the biggest and baddest mother ****er on the block, why would you let your half gay neighbor try to tell you how you should be ****ing your wife and when it's O.K. to do it?? I'm surprised the brits ever bought into the whole EU bull**** to begin with. The USA will never ever ever let foreign powers make our decisions or bow down to a one world government, no matter how many libs hold hands in a circle and sing Kum Baya together. :)

....I hear exactly what your saying and I agree with most of it. It's like the rest of the world wanting the US to give up some if not most of our power and bend over for the ****ing UN(ha ha ha ha ha) and let a bunch of foreigners dictate our policy. Get the **** out of here with that ****. When you have been the biggest and baddest mother ****er on the block, why would you let your half gay neighbor try to tell you how you should be ****ing your wife and when it's O.K. to do it?? I'm surprised the brits ever bought into the whole EU bull**** to begin with. The USA will never ever ever let foreign powers make our decisions or bow down to a one world government, no matter how many libs hold hands in a circle and sing Kum Baya together. :)


The US and Britain would never bow down to a one world government.

Why should they?

They should impose a one world government. Why should other countries be denied the privillages we have? They shouldn't.

And if we have to change our rulers to centimeters instead of inches, or call our beers liters instead of Pints on the path to world domination who cares?

That **** is miniscule and does not matter. What's important is creating unity, unity led by the most capable leaders. Which is better for everybody.

I seem to remember us having a almost one world government, it was called the British Empire. We brought "civilisation", in a fashion, economic and social benefits, in a fashion, and wer'e still reaping the "benefits" and getting slagged off for it. **** the one world government, sure share the wealth but leave us to our own devices. Continental europe, particularly germany and France want to create a unified europe with them at the head table. Such was yhe gratitude of France after WW2 that they tried to stop us joining the european union. So I say ****'em. Align ourselves with the US, culturally we have more in common, and next time someone comes knocking on Europes door with bad intentions, we ain't coming out to play.

The ammount of food wasted through mass storage, land allowed to lie fallow and farmers still paid for it. All through a "common" agricultural policy. This food, and the land left fallow could be utilised to help feed the worlds poor. Unfortunately a one size fits all policy on anything isn't going to work, so forget a harmonised europe in terms of economic and social policies.