| On May 29, 2005 French voters in a national referendum rejected the proposed new European constitution.Ê The vote was 57% opposed with 43% supporting.Ê Over 70% of eligible voters turned out to vote, far exceeding recent French elections.Ê The fact that it was defeated and the large majority that voted against it was a major setback for the dream of true European unity. Three days later the Dutch by an even larger margin of 63% to 37% rejected the constitution. With two of the key members of the European Union rejecting the constitution it was dead. |
