Information Related to "Will EU Constitution Rejections Halt the Drive for European Unity?"
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Reaction to what was not expected even six months ago—-rejection of the new European Union (EU) constitution by the voters of France and the Netherlands—has been mixed. Conservative newspapers in Britain regard the popular rejections as a grave crisis for the EU.
For example, Daily Mail commentator Simon Heffer wrote: "There is no point in understatement. The crisis in which the European Union—or, more specifically, the European Commission that so ineptly runs it—finds itself after the French referendum is, quite simply, the gravest in its entire history" (May 31, emphasis added throughout).
Yet Luxembourg's Jean-Claude Juncker stated, "If the French said 'oui,' European integration would proceed, and if they said 'non,' European integration would proceed." Many EU elites remain in denial and are determined to push things forward as future opportunities allow. It is difficult for them to accept the fact that the democratic process could halt or even delay their plans for European unification.
An American assessment just prior to the vote
A recent article in The Atlanta Journal-Constitution summarized Europe's status in this headline: "Renewed Clout: From the Ashes of a World War, the EU Rises as a Counterweight to American Ascendancy" (May 8).
This particular piece assessed Europe as "every bit a superpower" and noted that America statistically trails the 25-nation EU combine in a number of important measurements, including population and gross national product. It also stated, accurately, that "Europe has significant political influence, which can sometimes limit American options in the world and which U.S. policymakers and voters must take into account."
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