Madam, - The people of France and the Netherlands have acted in accordance with the dictum that, in a referendum, a question is asked and voters answer another. That, of course, is democracy and we must address the immediate and longer-term implications.
It should not be overlooked that the constitutional treaty has already been ratified in nine member-states, representing at least half the population of the European Union. Abandonment of the project would be dismissive of the position of those countries and of their contribution to the Convention and IGC processes. It was cogently argued by the Hungarian minister for European affairs, at the recent Galway meeting of the National Forum on Europe, that it was unacceptable that the European aspirations of one country could be killed because people in another "don't happen to like their prime minister".
Abandonment would also involve the loss of much that was achieved by the Convention in terms of clarification, simplification and consolidation. The framework of the treaty was, in itself, a major advance - setting out values, objectives, competences, institutions and decision-making procedures in an accessible and logical text. A return to the post-Nice muddle with linked references across six or eight treaties and amendments would be a real setback. And we would lose the major advances in European Social Policy that were brought about by both Convention members and the Irish presidency last year.
Abandonment of the constitutional treaty will not cause globalisation to disappear, end unemployment in France or remove the roots of racism but it will constrain efforts to deal effectively with these challenging phenomena of 21st-century Europe. - Yours, etc,
TONY BROWN, Bettyglen, Raheny, Dublin 5.
Madam, - I define myself as a socialist and a europhile. I felt terrible after the French "No" vote, but after listening to the media commentary after the Dutch vote, I am waiting with reserved anticipation to vote "No", should the Irish Government dare to hold a referendum.
The media spin is of course, a return to "protectionism?" versus "free", open, liberal capitalist economies. I have had enough of damage limitation, as a "leftie" trying to defend the moderate socialist support for global liberal progress.
Protectionism unashamedly cares about people, free markets unashamedly create economic growth, with winners and losers, little democracy and no care for losers. Although I feel a little ashamed that I will be voting with Sinn Féin and the extreme right on this issue, I am joining the eurosceptics to reject this neo-liberal constitution. - Yours, etc,
TERRY TRAINOR, Limerick.