French No To The European Constitutional Treaty Essay

EURO 2140 (08/09 S2)
WONG Steffi Chun Nga (07009380)
French “No” to the European Constitution: We love Europe, therefore we vote “no”?

Topic: French “No” to the European Constitution: We love Europe, therefore we vote “no”?
|1.     |Introduction                                                                                                     |
|2.     |Prelude to the rejection: France and the changing European Union                                                 |
|3.     |European Union in French Minds                                                                                   |
|4.     |A Not-so-ideological “No” Campaign                                                                               |
|5.     |Failure of the Political Elites                                                                                   |
|6.     |Conclusion                                                                                                       |
|       |Bibliography                                                                                                     |
|       |                                                                                                                 |

1. Introduction
France is one of the most dedicated advocates for European integration yet she is also the fiercest in protecting national interests and retaining sovereignty. From Charles de Gaulle’s empty chair policy to Valery Giscard d’Estaing’s devotion to the draft European Constitution, France can derail important EU developments or give them a hearty boost. In recent years, it seems that French enthusiasm to European integration has been cooling down. Although the term “European integration” typically refers to a state-led process, pointing to the political elites and their attitudes towards the issue, the opinions of citizens should also be taken into...