After the referendum

The outcome of the referendum on the ratification of the European Constitutional Treaty has become uncertain, which undoubtedly adds spice and depth to the political debate within France. More than ever, it raises a wide range of issues: domestic policy issues, clarification of the French people’s vision of Europe and the advisability of ratifying the proposed text on its own merits. It would be very naive to deny the legitimacy of these questions, even if they do not directly relate to the yes or no answer to the question posed: after all, this is about the future of European political integration, the French people’s vision of it and how they intend to maintain France’s influence in the world. While the final answer will necessarily be brutally simple (yes, no or none), what determines it legitimately brings into play all levels of the current debate.

While it is inevitable, and probably healthy, for France to question its European choice, there is one illusion we must guard against: that the rest of Europe is waiting, breathless and with all business suspended, for France to make its choice so that it can then pick up where our country left off, under conditions that suit it. Several of the arguments put forward explicitly or implicitly in the campaign suggest that this illusion is present in many minds.