I live in the middle of this everyday...
There is no single reason for all that is happening now.
The French rejected the constitution because:
a) It was a document representing free market neo-liberal economic policies
b) Because they where sick of Chirac, unemployment and economic reforms (see vote for Le Pen in last preidential)
c) Because the French left, proved they where the closest thing to a UK Conservative party; split and campaigned against each other (and everyone else) resulting in an even larger failure.
c) Because they misunderstood the document, it was not explained/sold to them and they where caught up in the media frenzy
The Dutch rejected the constitution because:
a) they followed the French,
b) it was not explained or sold to them.
The UK would have rejected the constitution because:
a) They are, on the whole, completely ignorant and misinformed about the EU
b) They are an island.
c) They won the war (and they actually believe this statement)
d) The constitution was too 'social'
e) It was not sold to them and the EU cannot be discussed by any politician or journalist is a sensible manner at all
f) Optional: the BBC are increasingly anti-European.
In fact the treaty is nothing but a reordering of EU laws, in particular, compared to Amsterdam, the Single Act, Maastricht or even Rome. Nothing. It is just a relative failure of an attempt to make something more readable.
Now for the budget and this should be seen as, on the whole, a distinct subject from that of the constitution.
It failed because.
a) Tony Blair, fresh from a victory, wanted to assert his influence on the EU and push for a free market, non-integrated EU.
b) Chirac, fresh from a slap in the face, wanted to prove he was the hard man of Europe, fighting for the French way of life (farming) and refusing to renegotiate something which was agreed a few years ago.
c) Schroder, in the run up to an election, wanted to prove he was not the problem, but also keen to spend less German cash.
d) The Swedes, Danes and Dutch (all major net contributors) wanted to pay less.
e) The new member states wanted a fair deal and not for the rules to suddenly change in comparison to former enlargements
f) and the Irish: well they actually were the only ones I heard saying anything remotely altruistic: we got our money and are willing to give it up for the new member states in a spirit of solidarity.
So what does Europe need?
1) People to realise power is centralised in the hands of the member states within the Council of Ministers. This institution holds nearly all discussions behind closed doors. Does not published detailed accounts of its debates and basically stands for all that is wrong with an undemocratic Europe.
2) For people to understand how Europe affects their daily lives. For money to be spent on more than just agriculture.
3) For the press to actually publish information and not assume that we can only handle sound bites. Look at the media in other countries, they actually dare hold proper debates, publish entire documents and trust the people to think…
4) Refocus Europe on issues that will affect them e.g. Erasmus (university exchanges), R&D, infrastructure, cultural development, the environment etc.
5) Involve them in the debates and not just votes, have politicians stand up and take a firm position argue it, maybe allocate the media time for a whole speech and not just a 20 word bite.
6) Etc.
I short, Europe did not fail. The press and politicians failed to communicate it. Will there be some fundamental rethink. Not likely. Think of previous earth shattering moments, when the rebate was won, when the French refused UK entry twice etc. the list is endless. This is just a normal blip in an unstoppable multi-speed process. Right now we have over integrated and a breather will come, followed by another spurt.
I always get the impression people like drama more than mundane continuity. Europe will not disappear, the euro will not vanish, we are not enter a phase of fundamental restructuring; Europe is just continuing along its merry way.
My god I should stop now no one will read this
Discuss
T.
