“what has it got to do with the EU Constitution?!?" I didn’t mention the Constitution.
<<Layoffs, globalization, chronic unemployment, etc. have been plaguing Europe for the past 30 years anyway, and will continue to do so no matter what.>>
Layoffs have just started creeping –after the tech bubble burst- having started for real only in the tech sector. Globalization will be there when:
1) VW instead of garanteeing no lay-offs for some compromise in less salary increases decides to solve the problems of the company once and for all.
2) Swisscom is allowed Austria Telekom
3) Technically bankrupt Alitalia is grounded for good
4) The German state sells its golden share of DT
5) The state is downsided because they need to cut taxes
But this inimical to that vision Europeans have of themselves. Only the Easterners are dismantling the old structures.
<<Chronic unemployment>>
I agree. This has been a constant for 30 years. Don’t forget the amount of pseudo jobs and government jobs.
<<The EU Constitution was irrelevantly hyped up as a cure-all for Europe's sluggish economics....>>
Politicians of the opposition when trying to ‘torpedo’ an initiative they lay hands on every trick. And creating fear among the populace is very easy. Just tell them: You’re going to lose your free lunch!!
<<Hence my opinion that the real French malaise ain't about euro-economics but, rather, stems from geopolitics. I believe the Iraq War was/still is the seminal event that send France on its centrifugal orbit, so to speak. It's still intolerable for French authorities that, on such a crucial issue of "War and Peace", EU newcomers (Poland, Romania, the Baltic States,...) so openly, rashly, and eagerly aligned themselves with the US-UK-Israel axis and against France, their EU senior partner.>>
That’s why I called a rude awakening!
<<Besides, as I pointed out on another thread, the isolation of France is going from bad to worse as most observers anticipate a landslide victory for Angela Merckel in a couple of months.>>
And she’ll promise to roll back some reforms to win the election instead of doing the necessary reforms. And the nose-dive will continue.
<<Since the EU Constitution was basically about the POLITICAL integration of the European Union, it shouldn't be surprising that it no longer makes sense for the French!!! I mean, France is a Mediterranean country with special relationships with Morocco, Tunisia, Algeria, Lebanon, Syria, and even Egypt, to an extent. >>
Just add the whole Francophone Africa and Iran too!
It will be difficult for you to convincing me that the mass voted no due to Geopolitics. Let’s say that 55% that voted no, 1% did due to geopolitics. The 54% did because of internal issues: Economics 50% and 4% due to nationalistic views of losing the old “grandeur”. |
