european constitution referendum

• European Union at Crossroads ; Referendum On Constitution Set to Begin; French Vote Critical

This is a year of crucial decisions, when the European Union can close ranks and look forward to further expansion or see its precarious unity shattered. France, because of its size and role in the EU, holds the key to the future with a referendum on the proposed European Constitution - a lengthy document, read by few, comprising 448 articles, that one French pundit described as "badly put together.

• The Washington Times
• February 07, 2005

• Chirac Picks Ally As Premier

PARIS -- President Jacques Chirac of France named his longtime protege Dominique de Villepin as prime minister on Tuesday in an effort to restore confidence in the French government after the country's decisive rejection of a constitution for Europe. In a televised address on Tuesday evening, Chirac announced the dismissal of Jean-Pierre Raffarin as prime minister and confessed that the rejection of the referendum on the European Union Constitution on Sunday had triggered a period of "difficulties and uncertainties" that required the French to "rally together around the national interest.

• Deseret News (Salt Lake City)
• June 01, 2005

• The European Union's institutional balance after the Treaty of Lisbon: 'community method' and 'democratic deficit' reassessed.

...The Treaty Establishing a Constitution for Europe C. The Treaty of Lisbon 1. The Negotiat... Constitution, it was voted down by referendums in France and the Netherlands. (76) In France, the...

• Georgetown Journal of International Law
• Vol. 39 Nbr. 2, January 2008

• Chirac to Appeal for 'Yes' to Eu Charter ; Referendum Set for Sunday

French President Jacques Chirac has planned a last-ditch televised appeal today to voters to support a proposed new European Union constitution in a national referendum Sunday. But a string of polls now say a ragtag, underfinanced, ideologically chaotic coalition is poised to deliver a stunning rebuke to Mr. Chirac and the French political establishment, which would send the 25-nation bloc into a crisis in the process.

• The Washington Times
• May 26, 2005

• 'Plumber' May Sway Voters; Fictional Handyman Becomes Eu Campaign Issue in France

PARIS A faceless Slavic handyman has emerged as a symbol of the struggle to persuade a disgruntled French electorate to vote in favor of a European Union constitution in a critical weekend referendum. For opponents, the "Polish Plumber" represents fears that under a tighter union, people from poorer European nations will take jobs away in France where one in 10 is already unemployed.

• The Columbian
• May 24, 2005

• Britain Scraps a Vote On Eu Charter ; Action Comes After French and Dutch Reject Constitution

LONDON Britain shelved a referendum on the European Union constitution Monday, following the charter's rejection by French and Dutch voters. The development strongly suggests the treaty cannot survive in its current form, and removes a major complication for Tony Blair.

• The Columbian
• June 07, 2005

• Around the World

Britain postpones vote on EU charter LONDON - Britain shelved a referendum on the European Union constitution Monday, after the charter's rejection by French and Dutch voters. The development strongly suggests the treaty cannot survive in its current form and removes a major complication for Tony Blair.

• The Record, Bergen County, NJ
• June 07, 2005

• Dutch May Control Fate of European Constitution

AMSTERDAM, Netherlands Dutch voters could deliver a death blow to the European constitution if they reject the charter in a referendum today, and polls suggest they will do so by a larger margin than the stunning "no" from the French. A resounding "nee" by the Dutch would leave European leaders scrambling to explain where they went wrong when they gather in two weeks to assess the votes.

• The Columbian
• June 07, 2005

• Rejection in Dutch Vote Could Doom Constitution

AMSTERDAM, Netherlands - Dutch voters could deliver a death blow to the European constitution if they reject the charter in a referendum today, and polls suggest they will do so by a larger margin than the stunning "no" from the French. A resounding "nee" by the Dutch would leave European leaders scrambling to explain where they went wrong when they gather in two weeks to assess the votes.

• Augusta Chronicle, The
• November 07, 2005

• The Great Reaction ; Europe Balks at the Intrusion of Globalization

Everyone agrees that the French referendum on Sunday that rejected the proposed European Union constitution by 55 percent was a big event. But how big, for what reason and whither it points Europe remains enclouded by a storm of ideological hopes and projections. After every major election, its meaning is immediately subject to mixed explanations. After our 2004 presidential elections, President Bush's victory was attributed to the gay marriage issue, Karl Rove's amazing get-out-the-vote mechanism, Sen. John Kerry's ineffective campaign, the public's disinclination to change horses during a war, Democratic Party urban secularism, rebounding jobs, Swiftboat Vets for Truth, the sheer likability of George W. Bush, the sheer unlikability of John Kerry and every reason in between.

• The Washington Times
• June 01, 2005