France rejects the European Constitution - the first crack in the Neo-libe

[BushSpeak]

I'm sitting here in Brittany as the news just fell on the TV and I have to get the word out before the Fox News spin masters turn this inside out and isolate the French people to keep this anti neo-liberal revolution from becoming contagious.

By a margin of 55-45%, the French people said "No" to the neo-liberal advance that has been dismanteling the social structures created to rebuild Europe after the Second World War.

There is a feeling here that this could be a historic moment. This is the first time that a country in it's majority has said no the neo-liberal bulldozer. Just as you did last November. The difference is that "Old Fashioned Europe" still uses paper ballots and transparent ballot boxes. At least, we have the chance that the people's voice can be heard.

We will need your help to explain the underlying motivations in the French vote, just as you can build from our victory to help raise the consciousness in America.

This will be rather long to give you decent understanding of the social, political and historical repercussions of the events.

Suffice it to say that this Constitution was extremely neo-liberal in it's orientation. Nearly 500 pages, with a third section of over 300 articles that attempted to constitutionalize neo-liberal economic policies for the next 50 years. The only other constitution in the history of the world to mix constitutional institutions and economic policy was the constitution of the Soviet Union.

I have to go out and celebrate with friends from Attac. I'll be back later tonight or tomorrow to start filling in the gaps.

I'll either re-edit this message or put a new one in with CAPS, so you know it's part of the original thread.

May the force be with us!

BushSpeak

[KoKo]

1. Can't wait for your additional comments! Congratulations!

[Vincardog]

2. Great news. If the FRENCH can do it why don't WE?

Have open Fair elections. NOW

[burythehatchet]

3. Felicitations!

[aquart]

4. I have NO idea what you just said.

Am I supposed to intuit what a "neo-liberal" is?

[KittyWampus]

6. In Europe "Liberal" Refers To Economics. Liberal Literally Means

unregulated so a Liberalism or Neo-Liberalism refers to Free Market Capitalism.

[Nite Owl]

So to say that neo-liberal

would be like the DLC would be correct then?

[Robbien]

12. DLC yes, but even closer is the Blue Dog Dems

Basically it means all policy brought to you by the global capitalistic elite.

[Nite Owl]

17. Then this is indeed good news.

Viva la France!

[blurp]

20. Maybe good news for the USA, but

Someone that voted today complained that without the EU, the USA wouldn't have a larger power to keep it in check.

[Robbien]

9. Neo Liberal is the term used when the IMF and the WTO

force developing countries to privatize their country's natural and economic resources. With the European countries, privatization is being forced on them through the EU constitution. Here in the States, we have the GOP.

Neo-Liberalism means capitalists rule.

[aneerkoinos]

10. Neoliberal

You can also google, but basically it means unfettered robber capitalism and neocolonialism. (cf. Thatcherism, Reagonomics, Blairism, Neoconservatism)

[KittyWampus]

5. Your Repition Of The Term "Neo-Liberalism" With No Examples

of how the EU Constitution applies doesn't impress.

[arcos]

8. I have seen no examples either, but it's not only the OP's opinion...

An important part of the left in Europe has been against the European constitution for that same reason.

On edit:

Amiens rally for “no” vote on EU constitution
The French left and the politics of evasion
By Peter Schwarz
28 May 2005

Francine Bavay of the Greens was the first speaker. She criticized the undemocratic and anti-social character of the constitution. The catalog of fundamental rights it contained was minimal and represented a considerable retreat from the famous Declaration of the Rights of Man of 1789. Social rights, such as the right to work and receive job training, are entirely left out of the document.

She said, “We do not want competition between workers, but rather the same rights and social standards throughout Europe.” With regard to environmental policy, she noted that the word “bank” appears some 600 times in the constitution text, while the term “climate” occurs just once.

Gérard Filoche of the Socialist Party said there was a close relationship between social resistance to the government and rejection of the constitution. He pointed out that there was also substantial resistance to the constitution in other countries. In Greece, the parliament ratified the constitution although 10,000 demonstrated in favor of a referendum.

<snip>

Filoche called for a renegotiation of the constitution. He said that as a trade unionist he knew, “If one wants something, then one must say no.” The rejection of the constitution by the French people, he continued, was not an “expression of the crisis, but rather the maturity of Europe.” He then described in detail the implications for workers’ lives of the “free market” liberalisation of the economy embodied in the constitution. He concluded his contribution with the demand for a common European minimum wage and the abolition of the so-called Bolkestein directive.

http://www.wsws.org/articles/2005/may2005/fran-m28.shtm...

[arcos]

7. Welcome to DU! nt

[Me.]

11. Thrilled!

Have been watching this play out over the last few days. I do think it is historic, the people are fed up with the "elites" as they're being called and have said no. The Dutch will say no on Wednesday. As I understand it, this all leaves Tony Blair with a big fat headache, as he/England take over the presidency next. My primary interest in this is twofold. First I was amazed to see that despite all the political parties supporting a "yes" vote, the people began to gather in small groups and decided to say no. This is a huge warning to the leaders of France and Europe that their control is slipping and that they do have to answer to the people. My second reason for fascination is that I am hoping that what is happening in Europe will swim across the ocean and that spirit of defiance will catch on with the general public make itself felt here. The campaign for a yes was enormous and it still failed.

[Robbien]

14. Yes, thrilled.

I cannot tell you how hard it has been to type the last couple of days with my fingers crossed for the French.

[snowbear]

13. Neo- - huh?

:dunce:

[Robbien]

16. In every country but the US, Neo-Liberalism is used

And to the Progressives of the world it is a dirty word, as bad as the word Neo-Con is here at DU.

BushCo/Blair is seen as the head of the Neo-Liberalism movement outside of US borders.

[Nite Owl]

15. With all the garbage

that's been going on over here I am pathetically uninformed. I'm glad it turned out well, if you could explain what exactly this all meant it would be appreciated.


Welcome to DU!

[muriel_volestrangler]

18. Do you think free trade in Europe is possible without being neo-liberal?

If so, what would you want changed from the current situation to achieve it?

Or are you in favour of breaking up the European economic free trade area - in which case, what bits (if any) of the European Union would you like to remain?

As far as I can see, the proposed constitution would have made the current situation in the EU the 'permanent' one - there's nothing new, economically, in the constitution, but, being a constitution, it would have been harder to change than the existing neo-liberal treaties. Do you think it's going to be feasible to get the existing treaties changed - or it is possible that what we've got now is going to stay for the forseeable future, because there's no way to get agreement among the countries on movement in any direction? I suspect the latter - until there's a major shift in several countries' governments (which would have to be in the same direction).

[aneerkoinos]

19. Red tape

The European common market is not per se neoliberalism, as long as there is a political process to balance it, all the infamous red tape and eurocrat bureaucracy, enviromental, social, labour, consumer-protection etc. regulation. "Social market economy" is what they say. Neoliberal capitalists wan't less political regulation and power to the "market forces" aka capital, socialists as a rule of thumb want more strict regulation on European level (European minimum wage, harmonized tax policies etc.) to avoid social dumping.

[muriel_volestrangler]

21. Does the constitution get rid of any red tape?

It seems to me it's just making the present situation more permanent.

[aneerkoinos]

22. Not really, I think

but it doesn't introduce more of the badly needed "red tape" in the field of social protection, which is why French left voted against.

[spindoctor]

23. The French government has already mentioned they have a plan B

First of all, this wasn't a real vote but an "advisory referendum". The vote is not binding but is at best a little embarassing for the French government.

This "constitution" will be rectified in the European Parliament. Period.

It's not much of a constitution either. From as much as I could stomach, it looked more like a re-affirmation of existing trade agreements.

[Apollo11]

26. It's binding

The Constitutional Treaty has to be ratified by all 25 Member States. It has already been approved by the European Parliament and by 9 Member States (Spain with a referendum and 8 others by a vote in the national parliament).

In France, the referendum is legally binding. There's no way for the President or the National Assembly to ratify the Treaty, now that the people have rejected it in a referendum. Not unless, at some point in the future, there is another referendum.

The referendum coming up on Wednesday in The Netherlands is an advisory referendum. In theory, the national parliament could decide to overrule the result of the referendum. In practice, most of the political parties (representing more than half of the 150 members in the elected chamber) already promised to respect the referendum result.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/3954327.stm

[Kellanved]

24. nope

This is dire news for Europe. I don't know what caused it; maybe it was to show Chirac the yellow card; maybe more people than I would have imagined bought the propaganda and downright lies of Le Pen.

This was no victory for the left, nor was it a defeat for your "neo liberals".


Attac should be proud, doing the FN's work is really a deed.
:sarcasm:

[slaveplanet]

25. Memorial Day blessing

I want to thank the French people today , for sacrificing their native sons. Many still buried on our soil. Who fearlessly defended our young nation from the tyrant.

VIVE LA FRANCE!
The spirit of Lafayette lives

chains to tyrants, usurpers , and emperors of no cloth...

and now...La Marseillaise
French National Anthem ...in English


Let's go children of the fatherland,
The day of glory has arrived!
Against us tyranny's
Bloody flag is raised! (repeat)
In the countryside, do you hear
The roaring of these fierce soldiers?
They come right to our arms
To slit the throats of our sons, our friends!

Refrain

Grab your weapons, citizens!
Train your batallions!
Let us march! Let us march!
May impure blood
Water our fields!


This horde of slaves, traitors, plotting kings,
What do they want?
For whom these vile shackles,
These long-prepared irons? (repeat)
Frenchmen, for us, oh! what an insult!
What emotions that must excite!
It is us that they dare to consider
Returning to ancient slavery!

What! These foreign troops
Would make laws in our home!
What! These mercenary phalanxes
Would bring down our proud warriors! (repeat)
Good Lord! By chained hands
Our brows would bend beneath the yoke!
Vile despots would become
The masters of our fate!

Tremble, tyrants! and you, traitors,
The disgrace of all groups,
Tremble! Your patricidal plans
Will finally pay the price! (repeat)
Everyone is a soldier to fight you,
If they fall, our young heros,
France will make more,
Ready to battle you!

Frenchmen, as magnanimous warriors,
Bear or hold back your blows!
Spare these sad victims,
Regretfully arming against us. (repeat)
But not these bloodthirsty despots,
But not these accomplices of Bouillé,
All of these animals who, without pity,
Tear their mother's breast to pieces!

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Sacred love of France,
Lead, support our avenging arms!
Liberty, beloved Liberty,
Fight with your defenders! (repeat)
Under our flags, let victory
Hasten to your manly tones!
May your dying enemies
See your triumph and our glory!

Refrain

We will enter the pit
When our elders are no longer there;
There, we will find their dust
And the traces of their virtues. (repeat)
Much less eager to outlive them
Than to share their casket,
We will have the sublime pride
Of avenging them or following them!

Refrain

[Apollo11]

27. This result is bad news ...

The European Constitution (or Constitutional Treaty) was a compromise that had already been agreed between the national governments of the 25 Member States. 90% of the new Treaty was repeating what is in the Treaties that have already been ratified by the 25 Member States. Around 10% was new - and mostly positive, because it would have made the European Union function in a more open and democratic way. It would also have allowed Europe to be stronger and more united on the world stage - and not always following the US lead.

Many in France (especially on the left) see the Constitutional Treaty as a sell-out to free-market capitalism. Many in Britain (especially on the right) are afraid of too much regulation that would inhibit economic growth. But most of the Treaty was just setting out the rules of the game - not setting policies in stone.

The Constitutional Treaty was supported by all of the main political parties in France, including the main opposition parties - the Socialists and the Greens (at least their leaders - although most left-leaning citizens voted no yesterday).

55% of French people have voted no - for many different reasons. Many because they don't like the Chirac-Raffarin government. Unemployment is high and people are feeling insecure about the impact of EU enlargement and economic globalisation. Companies closing factories in France and shifting production to eastern Europe - or to Asia (what the French call "delocalisation"). Workers are worried about competition from low-cost labour in eastern Europe, and maybe in a few years Turkey joining the EU as well ...

But there is no single meaning to the result of the French referendum. Some of those who voted no are fascists and nationalists, who want a strong France unconstrained by European laws. Some are communists who believe that global capitalism can be replaced by another economic system based on democratic or state control. Others are regular leftish voters who are unhappy with the conservative government of Chirac and Raffarin. This was in many ways a referendum on 10 years of President Chirac - two years before the next Presidential election which is not due until 2007.

In France there has a been a leadership vacuum on the centre-left of the political spectrum since Chirac was first elected as President in 1995. The socialist candidate in that election was Lionel Jospin - who ran again at the next election in 2002 and lost badly. He came third after Chirac and the fascist Le Pen. So in the final round (as happens under the French electoral system) - French voters had to choose between Chirac and Le Pen. There was no left-of-center candidate on the ballot.

For the past 10 years (at least), the French Socialist party has lacked a confident and charismatic leader who could win elections. So the anti-Chirac feeling has expressed itself in another way - in yesterday's referendum.

The view of most British media is that the Constitutional Treaty is now dead. This will almost certainly be the case if the people of the Netherlands also reject it when they vote this coming Wednesday, June 1st.

So now we are left with a weakened European Union - which can only be good news for the Bush Administration, who see the USA as the dominant political, economic and military power on the planet.

[Apollo11]

28. This result is good news for Bush ...

The European Constitution (or Constitutional Treaty) was a compromise that had already been agreed between the national governments of the 25 Member States. 90% of the new Treaty was repeating what is in the Treaties that have already been ratified by the 25 Member States. Around 10% was new - and mostly positive, because it would have made the European Union function in a more open and democratic way. It would also have allowed Europe to be stronger and more united on the world stage - and not always following the US lead.

Many in France (especially on the left) see the Constitutional Treaty as a sell-out to free-market capitalism. Many in Britain (especially on the right) are afraid of too much regulation that would inhibit economic growth. But most of the Treaty was just setting out the rules of the game - not setting policies in stone.

The Constitutional Treaty was supported by all of the main political parties in France, including the main opposition parties - the Socialists and the Greens (at least their leaders - although most left-leaning citizens voted no yesterday).

55% of French people have voted no - for many different reasons. Many because they don't like the Chirac-Raffarin government. Unemployment is high and people are feeling insecure about the impact of EU enlargement and economic globalisation. Companies closing factories in France and shifting production to eastern Europe - or to Asia (what the French call "delocalisation"). Workers are worried about competition from low-cost labour in eastern Europe, and maybe in a few years Turkey joining the EU as well ...

But there is no single meaning to the result of the French referendum. Some of those who voted no are fascists and nationalists, who want a strong France unconstrained by European laws. Some are communists who believe that global capitalism can be replaced by another economic system based on democratic or state control. Others are regular leftish voters who are unhappy with the conservative government of Chirac and Raffarin. This was in many ways a referendum on 10 years of President Chirac - two years before the next Presidential election which is not due until 2007.

In France there has a been a leadership vacuum on the centre-left of the political spectrum since Chirac was first elected as President in 1995. The socialist candidate in that election was Lionel Jospin - who ran again at the next election in 2002 and lost badly. He came third after Chirac and the fascist Le Pen. So in the final round (as happens under the French electoral system) - French voters had to choose between Chirac and Le Pen. There was no left-of-center candidate on the ballot.

For the past 10 years (at least), the French Socialist party has lacked a confident and charismatic leader who could win elections. So the anti-Chirac feeling has expressed itself in another way - in yesterday's referendum.

The view of most British media is that the Constitutional Treaty is now dead. This will almost certainly be the case if the people of the Netherlands also reject it when they vote this coming Wednesday, June 1st.

So now we are left with a weakened European Union - which can only be good news for the Bush Administration, who see the USA as the dominant political, economic and military power on the planet.