French voters reject EU charter

The BBC reports on this breaking news:

French voters have rejected the European Union's proposed constitution in Sunday's referendum, President Jacques Chirac has said.

The vote could deal a fatal blow to the constitution, which needs to be ratified by all 25 members states.

Exit polls published just after voting ended put the "No" side at 55%.

Mr Chirac, who had campaigned hard for a "Yes", accepted the voters' "sovereign decision" - but said France would honour its European commitments.

In his short TV address, he added that the rejection created "a difficult context for the defence of our interests in Europe".

Since we're not French, it's hard to understand the implications of this vote. Nevertheless, we'll make an attempt. Here are some arguments for and against the EU constitution. First, Daily Kos user FrenchSocialist defends the No vote:

The Constitution would make it impossible for a leftist government to implement progressive policies, and that the Constitution would force every nation to conform to the right-wing agenda of a free unregulated laissez-faire market. The Constitution's vision of unity imposes a decidedly right-wing economic model through political force.

Now, Daily Kos user Jerome a Paris defends the Yes vote:

Not approving the Constitution will weaken the European institutions and set back by several years the emergence of Europe as a political power on the world stage. The US will be able to easily continue its policies of divide and rule in Europe, finding lackeys like Blair and Berlusconi today and others in the future.

So make up your own mind. Good or bad? You decide.