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The French referendum is over, and the European constitution, under the rules that were set down for the referendum, has failed. Let's emphasize that: It has failed under the rules that were laid down. Those who make rules can change rules, and we strongly suspect that the coalition of politicians, bureaucrats and business leaders who badly wanted to see the constitution pass in France will, in due course, discover either that the rules have been misinterpreted or that it is possible to create new rules. They may discover that a referendum does not constitute a repudiation of the entire notion of a European Union, or that multiple referendums are entirely acceptable. The fat lady has not yet sung on this theme.
The truth is that while everyone is speaking of a resounding defeat for the constitution, the defeat was unmistakable but far from resounding. A swing in about 5 percent of the electorate would have generated a different outcome. A very strong body of the French electorate did favor the constitution. Blur your vision a bit, and France is divided down the middle.
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