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

At last the great day has come. We went early to vote and are planning to go back tonight for the counting. We were glad to see that in this small village, with 1,072 voters, we still had to queue outside the polling station. People were saying that this was due to it being Mother's Day today and families would be tied up in the afternoon, but we chose to see this as a sign that the yes-vote will prevail. Counting my chickens here.
Our whole circle of family and friends is firmly in the yes-camp, whether left-wing (sister, brother) or right-wing (son's in-laws) or Don't Knows (O/H's daughters) and it has been a great opportunity for people to come together by bashing both their own camp and the opponent's. Contrary to what the media would have us believe, there hasn't been that much soul-searching that I am aware of. Both far right and far left have their own constituencies, and neither is accessible to rational thought (imho). Finding them on the same rostrum is really putting off many of us.
Even at school, where the largest union (SNES) is as usual following the Communist Party's line, most of their members if not all will be voting yes. So we have been pleasantly free from acrimony since the campaign began... And since I never watch TV or listen to French news bulletins anyway, I have protected my blood pressure. As the British well know, the amount of rubbish that is spouted by media types with power but no responsibility has to be heard to be believed. I except politicians from censure because a) at least they are taking risks and b) they can be booted out, but media pundits can't, unfortunately.

See you tonight for an update then.

I look forward to hearing about the local count, Martine. The British press seem to be almost unanimous in predicting a 'no' vote, but I'm hoping this is wishful thinking on their part and that they will be proved wrong by the sensible French voters.

Salvete Martine and Annie. My assessment of the British media is that those who analyse on the basis of news reports are expecting a "NO" as a resounding anti-chirac and also an anti-expansionist vote. The few who appear to be interviewing the man in the street report that a large proportion of voters are genuinely undecided, for every imaginable reason.


petal jam

Hélas, hélas, trois fois hélas. Robert Schumann and Jean Monnet must be turning in their graves.

We knew it the moment we started counting the votes : the Noes were quickly outnumbering the Yes. After counting 814 ballots, we had a 55,34% No vote in the village.

It was the first time I had taken part in a count and I was very thrilled. The mayor remained cheerful throughout but the councillors were disheartened. Our "conseiller général" (our representative at the level of the départment (Indre et Loire), was sad : "The question the French answered was 'Are you happy?'," he said.

The usual suspects on TV, Le Pen's daughter smirking, the sickening alliance of far left and far right. We have turned it off and now feel quite sad, also angry at the stupidity of the voters (the voters have spoken, the bastards). It was de Gaulle (who resigned after losing a referendum on devolution)who said that "Les Français sont des veaux", that is they have the same IQ as a new-born calf.

Though I suppose it's a godsend for that nice Mr Blair. He can smirk all he likes, he has a right to. The French have been left behind, and they don't even know it.

Depressing - the alliances against the constitution are enough to make me think I don't want to be on their side whatever it is. There seems to be little chance anywhere of any vote on the constitution actually being based on the actual question of the constitution. Though given the directly contradictory views of the no British and no French campaigns I suspect it's probably a good compromise.

Oh well I suppose we may be spared the agonies of a referendum here, small comfort though that is,

hebe

Deeply depressing, as Hebe says. Especially as (if I understand it right) the vote had so much to do with internal French politics, rather than being focussed on the future of Europe.

If a 'yes' can't be achieved in France, which has invested so much in the European dream, what hope for us here?

Very sad.

Martine,

The theory being pushed by the press over here is that the "no" vote was based on the view that the constitution being proposed is too British. I'd be interested to know whether that is true.

Personally I really don't think this is going to make too much difference in the long run. Certainly the EU will not be disbanded. It has existed without a written constitution thus far.

What really concerns me is that the European Courts seem to have their own agenda particularly in the area of Tax Legislation. Each member State is insisting on holding onto it's own taxing rights but "anti-discrimination" judgements in ECJ are leading us to complete harmonisation of taxation legislation across the EU. Perhaps not a bad thing in the long run but this a very piecemeal and unplanned approach and is leading to all sorts of imbalances. Currently it seems very easy to avoid paying tax anywhere in the EU.

Hope you are well

Polly