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FOLLOWING THE EUROPEAN UNION

 
 
georgeob1
 
  1  
Tue 3 May, 2005 05:35 am
Any new poll data? The last I read was 52% to 48% against, with continuing momentum towards Yes. The vote is fast approaching.
0 Replies
 
Walter Hinteler
 
  1  
Tue 3 May, 2005 05:56 am
"53% «oui» contre 47% pour le «non»" :wink:
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Walter Hinteler
 
  1  
Tue 3 May, 2005 05:59 am
Quote:
French Support for EU Treaty Is Rising, Surveys Show (Update2)
May 3 (Bloomberg) -- French support for the European Union constitution is rising amid appeals by government leaders, less than a month before the treaty will be put to a referendum, according to four new surveys.

Among polls published last night and today, two showed a majority would vote for the treaty in a May 29 referendum, while the other two indicated opposition is falling.

A French endorsement is critical to passage of the treaty, which requires unanimous backing of the bloc. Until three days ago, about two dozen polls showed opponents in the majority. Concern a French defeat would weaken the EU has hurt the region's bonds and common currency, say firms such as Nomura Holdings Inc.

``French people are expressing their fears,'' Claudie Haignere, France's European Affairs Minister, said in an interview. More recently, ``they have taken account of their individual responsibility for a choice that involves France and Europe.''

In a CSA survey of 1,003 voters between April 30 and May 2, 51 percent said they backed the treaty, up from 49 percent in a April 26-27 poll, Le Parisien said today. Fifty-three percent of 960 people supported the treaty in an Ipsos SA survey conducted April 29-30, up from 48 percent between April 22-23.

Waning Opposition

A poll by Louis Harris among 1,001 French between April 29-30 showed the share of supporters rising 2 percentage points to 49 percent in a week, Liberation newspaper said today. Opposition fell 6 percentage points to 52 percent in a BVA poll April 27-30 of 1,141 people, L'Express newspaper said yesterday.

Support is rising after President Jacques Chirac, ruling party chief Nicolas Sarkozy and figures such German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder said a defeat would isolate France and undermine European influence. Along with creating a permanent president and foreign minister, the treaty strengthens the European Parliament and ends the practice of allowing each member country a position on the European Commission, the EU executive.

The legislation is designed to streamline the way decisions are reached following the EU's expansion to 25 nations last year. EU officials worked for 2 1/2 years preparing the constitution. A Frenchman, former President Valery Giscard d'Estaing, put together the first draft.

`Weaken France'

``A negative response from France will weaken France,'' said Haignere. It's Europe that will suffer.''

Speaking in an interview on France 2 television April 28, former Socialist Prime Minister Lionel Jospin urged voters unhappy with Chirac and an unemployment rate of 10.2 percent to wait until the presidential election in 2007 to show their discontent, saying a ``no'' would be like ``punishing France.''

Lending his support to Chirac, Schroeder on April 26 said rejecting the treaty would ``weaken, not strengthen, the power of the Europeans.'' Chirac has also said France will lose influence in Europe should the country of 62 million people reject the constitution.

Opponents include former French Socialist Prime Minister Laurent Fabius, leaders of the Communist Party, the anti-immigrant National Front led by Jean-Marie Le Pen and anti-globalization activists such as Jose Bove.
Source
0 Replies
 
J-B
 
  1  
Tue 3 May, 2005 06:24 am
Hey, Francis. I am curious about which side you are on? Could you leak your ballot to us? :wink:
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georgeob1
 
  1  
Tue 3 May, 2005 07:24 am
It does appear that his prediction will be proved accurate.
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ConstitutionalGirl
 
  1  
Tue 3 May, 2005 08:21 am
"Come on Francis, show us your PIC!"
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Francis
 
  1  
Tue 3 May, 2005 02:06 pm
^JB^ wrote:
Hey, Francis. I am curious about which side you are on? Could you leak your ballot to us? :wink:



CG wrote:
"Come on Francis, show us your PIC!"


Hey, this thread is a serious one! Stop messing it up! Laughing
0 Replies
 
Francis
 
  1  
Tue 3 May, 2005 02:07 pm
Walter Hinteler wrote:
"53% «oui» contre 47% pour le «non»" :wink:


Attends, c'est pas fini! :wink:
0 Replies
 
Walter Hinteler
 
  1  
Tue 3 May, 2005 03:17 pm
Quote:
EU clears aid to Dutch health insurance system
Source
0 Replies
 
J-B
 
  1  
Thu 5 May, 2005 09:36 pm
Francis wrote:
^JB^ wrote:
Hey, Francis. I am curious about which side you are on? Could you leak your ballot to us? :wink:



CG wrote:
"Come on Francis, show us your PIC!"


Hey, this thread is a serious one! Stop messing it up! Laughing



Hey your very ballot! You call that a mess?!

COme on! Very Happy
0 Replies
 
JustWonders
 
  1  
Sat 14 May, 2005 08:09 am
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,13509-1611375,00.html

May 14, 2005

'No' Campaign widens gap in EU referendum
0 Replies
 
Walter Hinteler
 
  1  
Sat 14 May, 2005 09:29 am
Besides France and the Netherlands, the constitution faces tough going with British and Polish voters.

In the Netherlands, one prominent concern is that the entry into the EU last year of eastern European countries, plus the prospective entry of Turkey in a few years` time.
Besides, it seems to be a vote against the rather unpopular government.
0 Replies
 
nimh
 
  1  
Sat 14 May, 2005 01:17 pm
JustWonders wrote:
May 14, 2005

'No' Campaign widens gap in EU referendum
By Anthony Browne

[..] Successive polls have shown that the "no" vote is in the lead, but a survey of 16,000 people for Dutch television released yesterday suggested that the gap has widened sharply, with opponents of the constitution outnumbering supporters by almost three to one. It showed that the "no" vote rose from 53 per cent in April to 60 per cent, while the "yes" vote fell from 24 per cent to 21 per cent.

60% against and 21% for? That's surreal, nothing like previous or parallel polls. I knew the "no's" had a slight lead, but 60 to 20? Weird.

I'm trying to look up what poll this was, but I can't find it yet. Here's what Maurice de Hond's polls for commercial broadcaster SBS6 have been showing recently, with the last one out today:

23 April: For 37%; Against 41%
30 April: For 38%; Against 40%
7 May: For 37%; Against 42%
14 May: For: 37%; Against: 45%

The change in the past two weeks is mostly due to EU-sceptics hardening their intention to vote against. Those who want a EU-with-a-brake are also increasingly determined to vote "no", while among EU supporters intentions are not changing much.

The website of the public broadcasters' news only reports the same poll, the website of commercial broadcaster RTL4 doesn't mention any, while the website of newspaper de Volkskrant too mentions the same Maurice de Hond poll, plus a poll commissioned by the government itself.

That latter poll says that 40% now intends to vote "no" and 39% "yes", with the remainder undecided.
0 Replies
 
Lash
 
  1  
Sat 14 May, 2005 01:35 pm
French Opponents of EU Constitution Hold Lead in Latest Poll

May 14 (Bloomberg) -- French opponents of the European Union constitution hold the lead in the latest opinion poll, a day after a survey showed a majority in favor, signalling the May 29 referendum is still too close to call.

Today's poll, conducted by Ifop for Web site Wanadoo.fr, showed 54 percent of 1,016 people surveyed on May 12 and May 13 plan to reject the EU's new rulebook, four points higher than a survey on May 3 and 4. A TNS-Sofres poll for Le Monde conducted on May 9 and May 10 put support for the treaty at 52 percent. Neither survey has a margin of error.

Polls throughout March and early April showed the French likely to reject the constitution, which would have killed the treaty that's meant to make European institutions work more smoothly after the EU expanded to 25 from 15 members last year. Supporters of the treaty retook the lead in late April after strong appeals from political figures such as President Jacques Chirac and former Socialist Prime Minister Lionel Jospin.

The recent dip in support is due to ``the marked return of Laurent Fabius,'' the number two in the opposition Socialist party and ``identified as the principal leader of the `no' camp,'' Ifop said. Appeals to support the treaty from Socialist Leader Francois Hollande and Nicolas Sarkozy, head of the governing Union for a Popular Movement Party, in a Monday night television debate failed to convince voters, the polling company said.

Holiday Issue

Opposition to government plans to suppress the May 16 public holiday is also boosting opposition to the treaty, Ifop said. Prime Minister Jean-Pierre Raffarin has earmarked 2 billion euros ($2.5 billion) in extra tax revenue from the suppression of the holiday to fund care for elderly and disabled people after the death of 15,000 people in France's August 2003 heat wave.

The Ifop poll showed 67 percent of those planning to vote ``yes'' and 76 percent of those planning to vote ``no'' have made up their minds.

The EU treaty, which needs approval in all 25 nations, foresees the creation of a permanent president and foreign minister, and strengthens the European Parliament. Its rejection by France could scupper both the constitution itself and Chirac's chances of running for a third term in 2007.

To contact the reporter on this story:
Emma Vandore in Paris at [email protected]
-----------------------------
0 Replies
 
Thomas
 
  1  
Sun 15 May, 2005 10:23 am
Lash wrote:
French Opponents of EU Constitution Hold Lead in Latest Poll

Go opponents, you can make it!
Allez, allez!
Vive l'opposition Française! Vive le "non"!
0 Replies
 
Francis
 
  1  
Sun 15 May, 2005 10:36 am
Hi, Thomas!

Laughing Laughing Laughing Laughing Laughing Laughing Laughing
0 Replies
 
Thomas
 
  1  
Sun 15 May, 2005 10:47 am
Enchanté, Francis! Smile
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Walter Hinteler
 
  1  
Sun 15 May, 2005 11:02 am
Santé à l'Europe, tous les deux!http://www.mainzelahr.de/smile/essen/kaf.gif
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Francis
 
  1  
Sun 15 May, 2005 11:05 am
Thomas, Walter, Francis : deux contre un!

A la notre!
0 Replies
 
georgeob1
 
  1  
Sun 15 May, 2005 01:15 pm
My impression is that poll results in France have held fairly constant at 52% No & 48% yes. With the referendum just two weeks away we should soon see some indication of a swing towards Yes if the Constitution is to be approved by France.

It seems reasonable to assume that the perceived likelihood of a no vote in at least one of the forthcoming elections may damp the enthusiasm of those who, at least marginally. support the constitution. Difficult to build the momentum required for universal approval.
0 Replies
 
 

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