IN THE NEWS - After French and Dutch Reject E.U. Constitutio

IN THE NEWS - After French and Dutch Reject E.U. Constitution, What Now?
By Jerilyn Watson

Broadcast: Saturday, June 04, 2005

I'm Steve Ember with IN THE NEWS in VOA Special English.

 
French President Jacques Chirac could not gain enough support to approve the EU Constitution.
Leaders of the European Union are trying to rescue the proposed E.U. constitution. Voters in France and the Netherlands rejected it earlier this week. However, the parliament of Latvia approved it. Ten countries now have accepted the constitution.

German Chancellor¹ Gerhard Schroeder says all twenty-five should have a chance to say "yes" or "no." Mister Schroeder and French President Jacques Chirac set up a meeting Saturday in Berlin to discuss the situation.

British Foreign Minister Jack² Straw is expected to discuss the issue Monday in Parliament. The government of Prime Minister Tony Blair has not said if it will hold a national vote.

All member nations must approve the constitution. But leaders could decide to re-negotiate the document. They will consider what to do when they meet June sixteenth and seventeenth in Brussels.

The constitution took two years to negotiate. It would replace several treaties. Versions in different languages are several hundred pages. The goal is to increase the influence of the European Union with its more than four hundred fifty million people.

But fifty-five percent of French voters, and sixty-two percent of Dutch voters, said "no." France and the Netherlands hold important places in European Union history. In nineteen fifty-one they were among six nations that established the European Steel and Coal Community. That led to the European Economic Community and, in nineteen ninety-three, the European Union.

Last year the union admitted ten more countries to reach twenty-five. Bulgaria and Romania hope to join next year. Turkey is to begin membership talks in October.

French opponents of the constitution argued that France would lose power and influence if a central E.U. government gained strength. Economic problems for the French, and popularity problems for Jacques Chirac, may have also influenced voters. Mister Chirac says the rejection³ means France will have trouble defending its interests in Europe.

The president had campaigned for the constitution. So had the prime minister. This week, Mister Chirac dismissed Jean-Pierre Raffarin. The new prime minister is Dominique de Villepin.

The Dutch government also campaigned for the constitution. But some voters said the E.U. administration in Brussels was getting too big and powerful. Observers say concerns about the Dutch economy and E.U. immigration policies only added to the opposition⁴.

The constitutional crisis has affected⁵ the euro. Twelve E.U. nations created a single money system in nineteen ninety-nine. In recent days the euro fell to eight-month lows against the dollar.

Besides Latvia, the nations that have ratified⁶ the constitution include Lithuania, Hungary, Slovenia, Italy and Greece. The others are Austria, Slovakia, Spain and Germany. Of the ten, only Spain held a national vote; the others approved it in their parliaments.

IN THE NEWS in VOA Special English was written by Jerilyn Watson. I'm Steve Ember.

1 chancellor   

n.(英)大臣；法官；(德、奥)总理；大学校长

参考例句：

• They submitted their reports to the Chancellor yesterday.他们昨天向财政大臣递交了报告。
• He was regarded as the most successful Chancellor of modern times.他被认为是现代最成功的财政大臣。

2 jack   

n.插座，千斤顶，男人；v.抬起，提醒，扛举；n.（Jake）杰克

参考例句：

• I am looking for the headphone jack.我正在找寻头戴式耳机插孔。
• He lifted the car with a jack to change the flat tyre.他用千斤顶把车顶起来换下瘪轮胎。

3 rejection   

n.拒绝，被拒，抛弃，被弃

参考例句：

• He decided not to approach her for fear of rejection.他因怕遭拒绝决定不再去找她。
• The rejection plunged her into the dark depths of despair.遭到拒绝使她陷入了绝望的深渊。

4 opposition   

n.反对，敌对

参考例句：

• The party leader is facing opposition in his own backyard.该党领袖在自己的党內遇到了反对。
• The police tried to break down the prisoner's opposition.警察设法制住了那个囚犯的反抗。

5 affected   

adj.不自然的，假装的

参考例句：

• She showed an affected interest in our subject.她假装对我们的课题感到兴趣。
• His manners are affected.他的态度不自然。

6 ratified   

v.批准，签认（合约等）( ratify的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• The treaty was declared invalid because it had not been ratified. 条约没有得到批准，因此被宣布无效。
• The treaty was ratified by all the member states. 这个条约得到了所有成员国的批准。