Politics What France will say to the European Constitution?

[ashqua]

Okay, France is voting today to answer to the question :
DO you accept the European Constitution?

All the pools showed that most of the French citizens are saying no (52-55% )
But I hope they are wrong and they say yes. I went to vote an hour ago and I voted yes! The participation is very important, more important then what the politics excepted.

I also want them to say yes because France is one of the countries that built EU with Germany, Italy, Belgium, Luxembourg and the Netherlands.

So what do you think? Would you say yes if you were French?

Oh and I have to add that some ppl are voting no because they can't stand our PM (only 25% of the population appreciate his work , I'm not of them :angelnot: ) , the economic situations..

I believe in Europe and I'm afraid of the effects of a French no , will it be the end of Europe? Will we vote again? Will they change things to the Constitution?



ETA :

France Deciding Fate of EU ConstitutionFrench Cast Ballots in Pivotal Vote That Will Decide Fate of Europe's First Constitution

By ELAINE GANLEY Associated Press Writer
The Associated Press

PARIS May 29, 2005 — Voters in France turned out in large numbers Sunday for a key referendum on the European Union's first constitution a charter that aims to pull nations together but has spawned bitter divisions threatening its passage.

Polls had suggested the French would reject the constitution, which must be ratified by all 25 EU member state before it can take effect in 2006. A French "no" would in effect kill the charter.

But with initial turnout higher than expected Sunday, there was a glimmer of hope that previously undecided voters could propel the constitution to a surprise victory.


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Nearly 42 million people were eligible to vote in the pivotal referendum.

President Jacques Chirac and his wife, Bernadette, voted together in their home district in Sarran in the Correze region at the rural heart of France.

Prime Minister Jean-Pierre Raffarin the likely first political victim in the event of a "no" victory voted with his wife in Chasseneuil-du-Poitou in western France.

"We are the European people who will decide its future," Raffarin said. "The French have a responsibility … and they are assuming it with, it appears, a high level of engagement at polling stations."

Backers say the constitution, which EU leaders signed in October, would streamline EU operations and decision-making, make the bloc more accessible to its 450 million citizens, and give it a president and foreign minister so it can speak with one voice in world affairs.

Opponents fear it will strip nations of sovereignty and trigger an influx of cheap labor just as European powers such as France and Germany struggle to contain double-digit unemployment.

The Interior Ministry put turnout at 25 percent by noon Sunday nearly 5 percent higher than that recorded during the same time frame in the last French referendum on Europe: 1992's Maastricht Treaty on European unity.

That referendum narrowly passed.

The 55,000 polling stations opened at 8 a.m. (2 a.m. EDT) and were to close at 8 p.m. (2 p.m. EDT), except in Paris and Lyon, where voting was to end at 10 p.m. (4 p.m. EDT). The first exit poll results were expected shortly thereafter.


Continued

 

[noggi16]

I hope they say no and it is looking like they will.

From the commentators we have, it appears that the French think that this constitution is too "anglo-saxon" too "neo-liberal" and that is not the case.

I think Europe should be a free market area, but thats it. I don't want the French or German social model imposed on me when clearly the British economy is in much better shape and appeals to more inward investment.

The good thing about the French no is it may stop more integration and spill over. Maybe they've finally realised moving everything to Brusels is not a good idea.

 

[ashqua]

You know I love my social model!
Because when I'm sick I don't have to worry about having the money or not to pay the doctor and the drugs. It's something I enjoy! And everybody does in France ^_^ .
Sure it's expensive and the government is changing some things to the social security but there is something that doesn't change : The poor population can still go to hospital and don't pay everything.

You pay only what you can!

 

[Lovygirl]

THEY SAID NO...And right now I'm not happy because I voted Yes ....Only good thing that will come out of it is that our prime minister is going to say bye-bye to his job...The french public opinion has been asking for it for months...And I agree because I don't like him and what he does...

 

[ashqua]

You mean years!!!
We've been asking for a new PM for years! Since he got the job


I can't believe they said no! It's so . What are we going to do now?
Vote again in October?
<_<

Chirac did a mistake! He should have asked to the Assembly to vote! If he had done that The deputies would have said yes!

 

[Danté's Prayer]

Yeah, I just saw it on national tv that France voted now... as did the Netherlands


I don't know what I would have voted if we could... we didn't even had the chance to vote... the parlement did it for us... but I don't support the Federal parlement...


Belgium is a really strange country...

we have like 4 parlements... a Federal one, a Flemish one, a French one and a parlement for Brussels...
but they're not build up the same... like the Federal parlement are *for the Flemish part* VLD and SPA (libirals and social members) the Flemish are Christians, Flemish Nationalists (like me, but i'm not a racist! our point is just to split Belgium in two halves, a Flemish and a French part!), VLD and SPA) ... that gives a lot of struggles between the Federal and Flemish parlement

 

[IsabellaOfSweden]

I think Europe should be a free market area, but thats it. I don't want the French or German social model imposed on me when clearly the British economy is in much better shape and appeals to more inward investment.

[post="1361195"]<{POST_SNAPBACK}>[/post]​

Yea, at the moment the british economy is in better shape.. but we all know that after an upswing there is always a recession so it's really not so easy to say now what effects the consitution would have on the economy in years..I believe that a country should either be in the EU to 100% or out..




It's bad that France doesn't believe in a truly united Europe... (well sweden doesn't either.. they don't want the euro (though, the swedish money is much more beautiful *lol* )

 

[noggi16]

But even if we go into a recession it is likely we would recover more quickly because our labour market is so much more flexible.

And you have to remember after a really bad recession in 1992, which was connected to Europe, we have had nearly solid growth since 1996. Despite a world economic slowdown and high oil prices. Now that won't go on forever but inward investment in France will fall, why situate your company in France with its restrictive labour market and 35 hour week, when you can put it Britain where we work longer hours, averaging 52 and get less benefits?