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Why did they vote No? (EU Constitution)

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    #32
    johnnyq
    Closed Accounts Posts: 641 ✭✭✭johnnyq


    IRLConor wrote: »
    Maybe if I keep you awake arguing probability I can break down your defences and persuade you to vote yes. :D;)
    Hmm probability of that .......0.000000000000001

    But you never know!


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    #33
    Ponster
    Moderators, Recreation & Hobbies Moderators Posts: 10,911 Mod ✭✭✭✭Ponster


    I've been in France for 10 years now so I thought I'd be able to add something to the conversation.

    France were never obliged to hold a referendum but chose to do so from media pressure who showed how lots of other countries expressed wishes to hold their own referendums. French people thought that if everyone else was allowed to have a say then why not they?
    Eventually Chirac announced that there would be a national vote but really only after straw polls suggested that 80% were in favour.

    As the months went by though the people became more and more disillusioned with Chirac and his government and the No people (mostly far-left) used the referendum as a tool to punish them for their failing domestic policies.

    Very good wiki piece here :

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/French_referendum_on_the_European_Constitution


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    #34
    Ponster
    Moderators, Recreation & Hobbies Moderators Posts: 10,911 Mod ✭✭✭✭Ponster


    BlitzKrieg wrote: »
    Oh yes I agree.



    I wanted to know what were the *assumed* reasons (since we will never truely know) for the no vote.


    Was there no similar poll in either country?

    What did the No Campaign mostly consist of?

    The *assumed* reason in France was that the ruling party failed the people by not being able to explain why Europe needed a 400+ pages constitition. The Gouverement never really pushed the YES vote until much too late in the game because all the initial polls suggested that they would easily win out (the best results gave them 75% Yes - 15% No)

    Things got 'bad' in France politically. 2 ministers were removed from corruption charges. MPs were looking for a wage increase. The price of basic food items had increased dramatically and people were blaming it on the Euro. So the NO vote people (all of the far-left and about 50% of the main opposition party) used the vote as a way for the French people to punish the government for it's bad results at home. Afterwards the Prime Minister Jean-Pierre Raffarin failed to pass any further law through parliament and was replace in 2005.


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