I fully agree with Philippe de Villiers — founder of Mouvement pour la France — who recommends a referendum due to the fact that the present treaty they are finalizing is in fact a constitution.
Angela Merkel has indeed declared “that all the elements of a constitution have been maintained.” [Several sources, including http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/news/worldnews.html?in_article_id=469118&in_page_id=1811]
A very thought-provoking statement when one considers just how different Europe really is when you travel across national borders. That becomes very much apparent when one takes the car, and passes through Germany, the Netherlands and Belgium on the way to France. In Belgium and the Netherlands we were truly amazed at the fact that they had installed glass windows between personnel and the customers at gas stations. We are TOTALLY unaccustomed to such security needs here in Denmark.
In France there is a certain culture and a codex of honour which, admittedly, is sadly lacking in the youngest generation, but many are beginning to place special focus on that element in society, including the political parties.
We NEED a Europe united by FREE-WILL participation in a common market, but we are far too different to create an actual union of nations in the same format as for instance the United States of America.
Let’s face the facts so we can work TOGETHER at improving all Europe before we join forces without accepting cultural differences and aspects in a proper manner.