Hope for Europe? From the Times Online, with thanks to the Constantinopolitan Irredentist:
THE leader of France’s ruling party has privately admitted that Sunday’s referendum on the European constitution will result in a “no” vote, throwing Europe into turmoil.“The thing is lost,” Nicolas Sarkozy told French ministers during an ill-tempered meeting. “It will be a little ‘no’ or a big ‘no’,” he was quoted as telling Jean-Pierre Raffarin, the Prime Minister, whom he accused of leading a feeble campaign.
Although Europe would be thrown into disarray, the Government would be greatly relieved if M Sarkozy were right.
Ministers have privately told The Times that Britain is prepared to ditch its commitment to a referendum if France, or the Netherlands next Wednesday, vote against the constitution. They believe that if the French say “no”, President Chirac will have to declare the constitution dead or promise a renegotiation.
Good so frenchies spare us the job of throwing that constitution down the drain...
The 300 page constitution. Only in Europe.
Johnb~ if they publish enough copies of that constitution, they can join the koran in the bathroom.
Gary:
It would be like flushing the New York telephone directory down the toilet. 300 page constitution - can you imagine it!
When have the French"not" been in disarray?
I'm guessing 'We the People' was too colonial sounding for the French. I heard the constitution was actually 400+ pages long. The question is this, do you desire a government with a people, or a people with a government? I'll opt for option #2 every time, thank you very much!
No hope, actually. Just like I thought he would, Chirac has already said he will ram this through. Either by scheduling a re-vote or ratifying it in parliament:
http://yahoo.reuters.com/financeQuoteCompanyNewsArticle.jhtml?duid=mtfh83373_2005-05-26_23-50-26_l26666570_newsml
And of course he resorted to the usual, paranoid anti-Americanism when selling this: the Americans want the constitution to fail so France should pass it.
Democracy is becoming more and more of a joke in Europe, as slimy politicians sell out their own people for influence and gain in the new bureaucratic, anti-democratic super-state.
Non? Vive la France!
It is quite the rage now to disparage France and the French but it is well to understand that not all French people are anxious to hand their nation over to Muslim immigrants or surrender their national and cultural identity. Unfortunately, most Americans have the image of rude anti-American Parisians in mind when they ridicule the French. France is a great nation on many levels. I wish the the true French success in throwing back the Islamic invasion and regaining their nation from the Quislings who have held power for so long.