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Wednesday, Dec 08, 2004

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THE FRENCH SOCIALIST VOTE

FRANCE'S SOCIALIST PARTY (Parti Socialiste) has voted convincingly in favour of the European Union Constitution in last week's internal ballot. The result could be a major boost not merely for the prospects of a decisive positive vote in the national referendum scheduled for next year on the ratification of the E.U. Constitution, but also for the continent's political integration. The signing of the Treaty of Rome by the 25 member-states in October 2004 prepared the ground for the endorsement of the Constitution by their national governments by 2007. Developments in France, one of the staunchest advocates of European integration, have always had an important bearing on the course of events in other countries. With the radical Left and the far Right fiercely opposing a common Europe, any chance of President Jacques Chirac's conservative government delivering on the promise of ratification through a national referendum is a near impossibility without the support of the Socialist Party. But in recent months, internal divisions have plagued a party that has traditionally been wedded to integration. While its President, François Hollande, rallied support among party ranks, his deputy and former Prime Minister, Laurent Fabius, alleged that the Constitution was long on assurances of open markets and short on workers' rights. The internal vote assumed enormous significance against this background. The outcome thus removes any apprehension that the national mood towards the E.U. Constitution could turn negative in the coming months. France's 1992 referendum on the Maastricht Treaty found voters split down the middle — the Treaty, which initiated the process of monetary union, was upheld by 51 to 49 per cent. Once again a national referendum could hold the key to the future of European integration.

The mammoth European project has been held hostage to national political configurations. For instance, Mr. Fabius' opposition to the E.U. Constitution was widely perceived as a cynical bid to propel himself into the presidential race in 2007. While his camp sought to project a vote for the Constitution as support for the conservatives, his opponents claimed that a negative vote would be an endorsement of the ultra Right led by Le Pen. All the same, the impetus towards integration has overwhelmed short term and narrow divisions, even if it meant an alignment of political forces as divergent as the Socialists and the conservatives. There is indeed general recognition among the votaries of the Constitution that the document is far from perfect. However, a dose of realism has propelled them towards consolidating what is achievable by way of political integration. Many nations are in the process of deciding the question through a parliamentary vote or a referendum. In the case of France, the Constitutional Court has held that an amendment to the French Constitution is a prerequisite for the national referendum.

The European Union Constitution will not come into force unless it is ratified by all the 25 member-states. A negative result in the Socialist Party's in-house vote would have been extremely bad news for the ratification process, which can now hope to go ahead. France, along with Germany, has been the keystone of the European project. Europe as a continent has a tremendous stake in the successful completion of the ratification process in these two countries. The outcome in the United Kingdom, the other big player, will also be a critical factor in influencing the overall course of European integration. In the global context where the United States is seeking to assert its hegemony, a strong and united Europe could serve as a democratic counterweight. Intimations of this came with powerful European opposition to the U.S.-U.K. war of aggression and occupation in Iraq.

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