Law & Society Blog

With the French 55-45% “no” vote to the European constitution, one of the great experiments in post WWII history has come to an end, the idea that economic integration could overcome a past defined by political division. Much of the vote was driven by the fear of losing characteristic national political entitlements (benefitting some, disadvantaging others) that would not have survived in the long run under a more centralized EU government, such as a relatively greater degree of protection from the free flow of labor and capital. Thus, the perceived failure is twofold. The economy failed to deliver, and the government failed to protect the economy by putting the voters’ parochial interests first. Historically, the simultaneous lack of faith in both the economic process and government by a significant part of the voters precipitated political shifts from the center to the fringes. The coming weeks and months will show if that pattern reemerges, not only in France, but also in other European countries. It appears that advocating for a unified Europe requires more than an amorphous appeal to “a stronger Europe,” whatever that is supposed to mean, or a “more diverse Europe,” which may appeal to some, including me, but not to others. Advocating for a unified Europe requires that voters in the wealthy (slow growth) countries understand what’s in it for them if the poorer (high growth) countries join. From within a framework of redistribution, the answer is: very little. And that framework of redistribution is pervasive, not just in France, but also in Germany, the Netherlands, Italy, etc., which makes the rejection of the European constitution almost rational, assuming that the framework of redistribution will remain in place. Europe may have arrived at a juncture where that assumption must be challenged, where further political integration is dependent upon a political rediscovery of non-political values, such as individual freedom (not Rousseau’s), free markets, and open societies, three topics that most successful national political campaigns have avoided in the past.