"Non" for Me

Fire of Liberty

The New York Sun has a good editorial and the EU Constitutional Referendum tomorrow. The editorial board notes that the whole EU project under this proposed Constitution is doomed from the start because it focuses too much on merging all of the countries of Europe into a single entity known as the United States of Europe instead of an confederation of individual nation states that pioneers like Winston Churchill and later leaders like Margaret Thatcher, Helmut Kohl and Jose Maria Aznar envisioned when they set about the creation of this project. While the French and Dutch head to the polls to cast "no" votes for differing reasons, they will be rejecting the treaty to ensure the right of their states to make decisions on domestic, economic and foreign policy rather than cede them away to Brussels via the Constitution. No matter what happens on Sunday in France or Wednesday in Holland, the public will provide a wake-up call to the political elites of Europe that they cannot ride roughshod over the people with this project. Just read a little bit of this editorial by the Sun to see how the "No" votes in these respective countries could result in a more limited political enterprise that leaves more power in the hands of the people and their parliaments. Here's a good selection from the editorial that expressing such sentiments:

As John O'Sullivan has noted, the French rejection of the European constitution can't help but spark a reconsideration of the European Union itself and for what it should stand. Fortunately for America, this rethinking will occur precisely when the anti-American politics of Mr. Chirac and Germany's socialist chancellor, Gerhard Schroder, are on the wane. Polls suggest not only that French voters are poised to hand Mr. Chirac a humiliating defeat in Sunday's referendum, but also that German voters are preparing to put Mr. Schroder's party out of power in favor of a government friendlier to America.

The recent rift between Europe and America was always based more on the cynicism of Messrs. Chirac and Schroder than on the actual sentiments of the Europeans. Voters in the Netherlands, Czech Republic, Poland, and, most notably, Britain, have expressed skepticism over the proposed European constitution for reasons opposite those of the French electorate: These states resent the overweening influence of France and Germany and worry about socialist economic regulation.

In other words, it's not a conflict between Europe and America so much as a conflict within Europe about America. Suddenly we're at a pass when America may be able to redirect European integration in a more favorable direction - toward a liberal, open, intergovernmental union that furthers democratization in Turkey, Ukraine, and the Black Sea region. That is, toward broader economic integration and away from the deeper political integration that aims at resisting America's brand of freedom.

I particularly like the last part which places a greater emphasis on the EU promoting economic and political liberty than the tired status quo of Socialism. This will take some time to make some inroads into the French mindset but it's well worth a try instead of the monstrosity that has been submitted to the voters in tomorrow's referendum. So Vive la France, and vote "non."