Home page Vive a France! France's rejection of the European Constitution has been over-analysed by both those in favour of the Constitution and those against. Lately, there has been much discussion, outside France, of its nationalistic fear of a larger EU and of globalization. Thank you France But, the issue, at the end of the day, is a somewhat visceral reaction to a very long and badly drafted text so much aimed at compromise and so much coloured by its emphasis upon the institutional relationships between institutions rather than people, it is not surprising that France rejected the document. Irrespective of the internal politics of France which is used by many to explain the vote, we have to say that France has served the more general interests of Europe by stopping this ridiculous process of ratification in its tracks. An increasingly flawed process In any case several so-called glorious "ratifications" were carried through on the basis of minority votes, that is with the motion having less than 50% of the electorate's vote and in some cases less than 33% (Spain for example). On the other hand, other more deft operations had parliaments vote through the ratification without a referendum so that the people of the country had absolutely no say (Hungary for example where 50% of the politicians are list politicians who serve their party only without constiutuency interests). Liberté There is no doubt that in stopping a process which had marginalised the people of Europe from its inception with the Constitutional Convention, was of fundamental importance to the defence of individual freedom. This Convention failed "to bring Europe closer to the people" as was part of its mandate, and therefore stopping this process in its tracks was a victory for Liberty. Vive la France!