That France Vote

May 30, 2005 7:48 AM by Katy Harwood Delay

The fallout from the French vote of "no" on the EU constitution includes a sign that Tony Blair may scrap plans to hold a similar referendum--which effectively kills, for now, the whole effort to create an overarching government charter.

The spin, which often has little to do with reality, is where it gets interesting. Did it represent a blow to the idea of liberalized markets in Europe? A rejection of centralization? Or was the whole event used by voters as a chance to punish the presidency of Jacques Chirac? No matter which interpretation you accept, the main problem remains: France's bloated welfare state and regulated economy that is out of sync with modern times.

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