Text 10030, 80 rader
Skriven 2005-03-19 03:22:00 av Jeff Binkley (1:226/600)
Ärende: EU
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Just remember that I have been predicting that the EU would not last 
long term and the breakup would cause another major war in the future...

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http://news.ft.com/cms/s/265629b0-97a5-11d9-912c-00000e2511c8.html


Poll shows French cooling on EU treaty
By John Thornhill and Fred Kapner in Paris and George Parker in Brussels
Published: March 18 2005 12:00 | Last updated: March 18 2005 18:46

France's political elite was stunned on Friday by an opinion poll that 
showed for the first time a majority of voters opposed the European 
Union constitutional treaty.

Jacques Delors, former president of the European Commission, warned of a 
“political cataclysmö if France voted No to the constitution in a 
national referendum on May 29.


However, Mr Delors predicted that the Yes campaign, which has only just 
been launched, would ultimately prevail. “I believe in the good sense of 
the people. They will not confuse this vote with questions of internal 
politics,ö Mr Delors said in a newspaper interview.

 
The poll of 802 people, conducted earlier this week, showed that 51 per 
cent of respondents would vote No if the referendum were held on Sunday. 
Support for the Yes campaign slumped 14 points from the previous month 
to 49 per cent, following a tumultuous spell in French politics.

Over the past few weeks, the unemployment rate has climbed above 10 per 
cent, the trade unions have staged mass protests against the 
government's reforms, and the finance minister has been forced to quit 
over a housing scandal.

President Jacques Chirac has also engaged in a public dispute with José 
Manuel Barroso, the Commission president, over a draft European services 
directive which the French president has labelled “unacceptableö in its 
present form. 

The directive, which seeks to free the European services market, has 
been seized upon by the No camp in France as evidence that Europe is 
heading in an excessively “liberalö direction.

Jean-Daniel Lévy, director of studies at the CSA institute, which 
conducted the opinion poll, said it was far too early to predict the 
outcome of the French referendum. “The debate has not yet focused on the 
fundamentals of the constitution but revolves around whether France is 
functioning well,ö he told the FT. “But there is a very strong evolution 
of opinion against the Yes.ö Mr Lévy noted a particularly sharp drop in 
support for the treaty among socialist voters because of the recent 
social unrest. Last December, a clear majority of Socialist Party 
members, who voted in an internal party ballot, opted to support the 
constitution.

Jean-Pierre Raffarin, prime minister, put a brave face on the poll, 
published on Friday in Le Parisien newspaper, suggesting it would help 
to galvanise the campaign. “This uncertainty about the result is going 
to create a debate,ö he said yesterday. “If the result is known in 
advance, then people do not feel personally responsible. But with a 
50:50 situation, the French will be personally responsible for their 
choice.ö The European Commission said on Friday it was “disturbedö by 
the growing No campaign in France, but denied that its controversial 
services directive was largely to blame. 

The EU constitution, which contains new rules for the expanded union and 
strengthens Europe's foreign and security policy, can come into force 
only when all 25 members adopt it.

Mr Barroso fears French politicians are fuelling euroscepticism with 
their attacks on Brussels over the directive. But Jacques Barrot, the 
French EU transport commissioner, is among those concerned at Mr 
Barroso's “peculiarly ill-timedö speech on Monday, in which he defended 
the directive.


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