Soirée électorale

[chani]

No films, no show tonight...well maybe a bit of "Carnivale" before the electoral evening.

We'll get the first results of the Referendum around 22.00.

Estimations

25% of abstention so far...French people did vote, but did they vote as I wished?

Hopefully they voted...

Comments

[frances-lievens.livejournal.com]

Why the "non"? The way I see it the constitution makes governing Europe easier. If we don't make that easier Europe will mean nothing, socially nor economically.

Unfortunately we aren't allowed to vote for the constitution. The government chickened out of the referendum. They probably thought a majority would say no.

[frenchani.livejournal.com]

Have you read the text? I did. It's nothing but a framework to ultra-free trade. Being a constitution it sanctifies what was decided by the treaty of Nice. Valéry Giscard d'Estaing who wrote the constitutional text has always been an ultra-freemarketeer btw.

That is not the Europe I want. It might be the last chance for the populations to say "no" to such sort of Europe and to initiate something else.

But of course I'm quite the left winger!

PS: the C&S is dead quiet...

[frances-lievens.livejournal.com]

No I haven't read the actual text. I was planning now I noticed your "non", because I value your opinion. What I did find about the constitution are small pieces on it saying it is based on certain humanistic values and the changes to the inner workings of the union, for instance giving more power to the parliament, which is a good thing, I think. Parliament has been able to hold back a couple of laws recently.

I do have the feeling media is rather positive about the constitution in Belgium. The only negative words on it are from other countries and we all can say "those people are different and strange" then. What also might be possible is that the image of Jean-Luc Dehaene plays. He's a bit of a wierd person, but people like him and trust him and he's totally pro constitution.

But like I said before: We can't vote. The governement likes to decide this thing for us. :-(

P.S.: I plead guilty... Haven't been to the C&S the last couple of days.

[chrissie-linnit.livejournal.com]

I'm concerned by the understanding, at grass roots level, of what a European Constitution actually means. I'm not confident that the politicians actually understand it and that reflects in their constituencies.

I am for a shared European Economic Constitution, because I can see how it would strengthen Europes global influence, enable a broader distribution of skills, opportunities and benefits and encourage people to think outside of the localised economy and social infrastructure. However, I do not understand how a single European Social Constitution would be beneficial though... and enforcement of one would cause immense unrest. Something like that needs a majority consensus just to buy into the concept let alone the actual process of transformation.

I'm not sure whether mainland Europe is more aware of the details of the Constitution, but I do know that, generally in the UK, people do not agree with it because general understanding is that it means superceding Soverign Law and forefeiting individuality. Crerating a sort of Bigger than Big Brother state.

[frances-lievens.livejournal.com]

You islanders... Always do keen on your individuality, hey? ;-)

A social Europe mainly involves that the rights workers have now will be guaranteed, that the free-trade doesn't swallow us whole. And that others can have the same opportunities.

I don't know about the Big Brother State... Actually it's always the same: if you want luxuary, if you want things the easy way, you'll have to make sure they can find you, whether it's because you want to buy stuff of the internet, or you want to marry...