h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

With the rejection by The French of The proposed EU constitution, and The Dutch almost certain also to vote no

What chance is their of their ever being a draft construction drawn up which all member countries can agree on and therefore ratify?


IMO very little

this dutchman will still vote yes!
but with the french against, all has grinded to a halt and nothing will change. So all the frogs who now dare to complain that "Europe" never does anything...

Nothing changes, this goes back to European Peer Review and hopefully next time it'll pass

i will vote no when our time comes

There's a similar thread to this in The Forum.

It would be nice if we could all settle our differences and go forward together, but then, we all know what happened to the V'lhurgs and the G'gvrunts (sorry if the spelling's dodge - don't have the books to hand).

F135418?thread=650206

I've just worked out (alright, looked up) what a Plebiscite is, and realised I've been unwittingly describing them in conversations for the last couple of years.

Didn't want to post this on The Forum, wouldn't suit the thread. Not that it suits this one much.

...wanders off shrugging, trying to justify watching the footie down the pub...

Sorry, didn't mean to kill this thread - it was very worthwhile.

And the footy was super.

The Future of the EU Constitution?

Errr..... none, I'd suggest. Doubtless the commission will try and break it up and incorporate elements of it into EC law piecemeal, as they do everything that gets turned down at some stage down the line, but as a single, free-standing document, the thing hasn't a chance. France has already voted 'non', Holland looks set to do the same, Ireland's commitment to it is looking extremely shaky and Britain would never vote for it in a million years. Furthermore, in any future votes the likelihood of the 'domino effect' increasing the turnout for the respective 'no' campaigns and suppressing the 'yes' vote increases with every rejection.

Tony Blair is now trying to avoid having to hold a referendum here by whatever chicanery he can find, as if there is a vote he will lose and lose heavily and would probably have to resign soon afterwards. His authority is already looking shaky after having his majority cut back considerably and confirming that this will be his last term whatever happens. A major 'no' vote would weaken his premiership fatally.

I think that the folly of trying to have one over-reaching document to bind Europe together is shown by the respective reasons why Britain and France voted down (or would vote down) the constitution. In Britain it is seen as a federalist document that would saddle the UK economy with an outdated European social model and take the country inexorably closer to a European super-state, whereas in France it is seen as an Anglo-Saxon free market document that would be the first nail in the coffin of their well-protected, state-owned industries and welfare state.

And never the twain shall meet, as they say.....

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Which is why I think their is so no chance of a yes vote in The UK

Absolutely. We have precious little trust for our own politicians in this country as it is, let alone politicians representing a body mostly made up of politicians from other countries.....