Main events: 28 May - 3 June
France and Holland reject EU Constitution against the odds
EU leaders call for continued ratification; UK referendum in the balance
Danger that EU Constitution will be implemented by the 'back door'
Falling support for EU Constitution in Denmark and Luxembourg
France and Holland reject EU Constitution against the odds
In a massive blow to the EU Constitution, France and Holland have both voted no,
with majorities of 55-45 and 62-38 percent respectively. Turnout in both
countries was high - nearly 70 percent of the French went to the polls and 63
percent of the Dutch.
No campaigners in France and the Netherlands triumphed despite being heavily
outweighed by yes campaigners in terms of finances and access to the media. The
French and Dutch governments both spent millions of euros of taxpayers' money
leading biased information campaigns in an effort to turn opinion polls back in
their favour during the last weeks before the referendums.
Unlike here in the UK, in France and the Netherlands all the mainstream
political parties and the media were in favour of the Constitution.
Indeed the no campaigns in both countries make an impressive comeback. In
November 2004 a
Eurobarometer poll showed that the Dutch yes campaign had a lead of 52
percent, with 73 percent of voters intending to vote yes. Similarly, in France
the no campaign came back from being behind by 38 percent in September 2004.
Reeling from the shock of rejection from these two founder members of the EU,
yes campaigners across the EU are now attempting to brush off the French and
Dutch results by saying that the people voted no out of ignorance, or for
reasons other than objection to the Constitution.
After the Dutch no vote the European Green Party rushed out a statement saying:
"No in France and Holland does not mean no to the European Constitution."
(Times, 3 June)
EU Council President Jean-Claude Juncker, argued, "If we were to add up all the
votes of those who wanted 'more Europe' as a yes, then I think that we would
have had a yes vote."
Valery Giscard-d'Estaing announced, "The result of the referendum in the
Netherlands expresses the difficulties experienced by the Dutch political and
ideological system." He said, "The European Constitution was the victim and not
the subject" of the referendum. (AFP, 3 June)
Lord Kinnock claimed that the results are "a triumph of ignorance" (BBC
Breakfast, 2 June)
Denis MacShane claimed that, "if you look at all the left wing voters who voted
no in France and the studies have already been done, 60% of them said they voted
against the Treaty because there were too many foreigners in France." (BBC Radio
Five Live, 2 June)
In fact, an analysis of polls asking why the French voted no shows that the
French voted no mainly out of concern that the EU Constitution would exacerbate
France's unemployment and social problems, and a desire for renegotiation. One
poll even revealed that 'the content of the Constitution' was more important for
no voters than for those who voted yes. (CSA) The French were well informed
about the Constitution: a copy of which was sent to every household, and books
about it topped the best-seller lists.
The Dutch vote was also very clearly a vote against giving more power to the EU.
A poll by Interview/NSS showed that the top three reasons people voted no were,
"The Netherlands will have less influence under the Constitution" (54 percent),
"Large countries will determine the future of Europe", (52 percent) and
"Politicians will take decisions 'over our heads'" (42 percent).
The resounding victory of the no campaigns - against the odds - in these two
founding members of the EU raises serious questions about the future of the
Constitution and of the EU itself. Both votes showed a clear rejection of the
current direction of the EU and a desire for reform. Moreover they are a warning
to the British government that it has even less chance than the French and the
Dutch governments did of winning a referendum on the EU Constitution.
Please click here for the no campaign's briefing note on the Dutch referendum.
Please click here for the no campaign's (updated) French referendum briefing.
EU leaders call for continued ratification; UK referendum in the balance
Despite the overwhelmingly no votes in France and the Netherlands, EU
politicians are as determined as ever to implement the EU Constitution. The
rejection of the Constitution by any member state should have killed it off, but
instead of listening to the voters EU leaders are threatening to press ahead
with the ratification process, or, worse, to implement bits of it 'through the
back door' and without further referendums.
National leaders will decide on how to proceed at the European Council meeting
on June 16-17. But there is already tremendous pressure to continue with the
ratification process.
EU leaders are doing their utmost to ensure that ratification continues.
Luxembourg's Foreign Minister, Jean Asselborn, whose country currently holds the
EU's rotating presidency of the EU, said, "We have to evaluate the message from
the people to us... then I think we have to continue the ratification." (BBCi, 3
June)
German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder also called for ratification to continue
saying, "The ratification process must go on . We can't let the crisis over the
ratification of the European constitution become a general European crisis."
(Bloomberg, 2 June)
Speaking on Newsnight, Commission President, Jose Manuel Barroso, said, "Nine
countries have ratified it, two countries have not ratified it, although they
are two important countries . I respect very much the French and the Dutch, but
they cannot decide on behalf of the British or the Portuguese or the Danish. I
mean, the other countries should have a vote on it, to say what they think." (1
June)
The leaders of France and the Netherlands also lined up in support of continuing
the process, with President Chirac saying, "While 11 countries have already come
to a decision, it is the responsibility of all the other member states of the
union to have their say." (FT, 2 June, 2005) The Netherlands' Prime Minister,
Jan Peter Balkenende said that ratification "can continue", adding that, "It is
at the end of the process to decide what the consequences are." (Guardian, FT, 2
June)
However, the British Government was unclear about how it would proceed following
the French and Dutch results. Europe Minister, Douglas Alexander, said that it
is "not up to one nation to declare dead a treaty signed by 25." (Le Figaro, 3
June). But Jack Straw said, "The Prime Minister and I have long made clear that
the Constitutional Treaty is a good deal for Britain and for the EU, but the
verdict of these referendums now raises profound questions for all of us about
the future direction of Europe." (FT, 2 June)
The British Government is expected to announce plans to shelve the referendum on
Monday. While the Portuguese government has confirmed that it will go ahead with
its referendum regardless, the Danish and Irish governments are both awaiting
the outcome of the June summit to decide whether or not to go ahead with their
referendums.
Because the EU Constitution must be ratified by all member states before it can
come into force, pressing ahead with the ratification process after France and
the Netherlands have already said no is a waste of time and money. However,
what's worse, is that EU leaders have already begun discussing plans to
implement the Constitution bit by bit by the 'back door', without referendums,
with blatant disregard for democracy.
Danger that EU Constitution will be implemented by the 'back door'
This week plans to 'cherry pick' large parts of the Constitution and implement
them without consulting the people came to light.
Giuliano Amato, the vice-president of the Convention that drafted the
Constitution, said that parts of the document could be "transplanted" into the
Nice Treaty (FT, 1 June)
Link to part 2 of EU referendum and EU
constitution news
Links: EU Referendum
Page started 7 June 2005