Guardian Unlimited: Europe frozen by French 'non' - by Noëlle Lenoir

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Europe frozen by French 'non' - by Noëlle Lenoir

Not long ago, an American political analyst compared France's loss of influence in Europe following its "no" vote in the 2005 referendum on the EU constitutional treaty with the country's surrender in 1940. A provocative analogy, but is it apt? The collapse in 1940 revealed the fragility of France's democracy and its loss of confidence in the country's capacity to face outside threats. In rejecting the European constitution, France expressed its fear of, among other things, globalisation. A better analogy for the no vote was the rejection in 1954 of the treaty to establish a European Defence Community (EDC). In both cases, a major historical mistake was made. France had to a large extent initiated both treaties and had managed to get them accepted by its European partners, but in the end vetoed its own undertakings.

The real question has more to do with France's credibility and its capacity to remain a driving force in Europe. A journalist recently expressed the view that France's special role in Europe was due to its "centrality," meaning that the French are, in equal measure, both open to the world and attached to their nation. They also participate successfully in a market economy while seeking to preserve an egalitarian social model.