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However, over 50 per cent of Socialist voters and over 70 per cent of Green voters say that they will reject the treaty. If you ask them why, they point - in shocked tones - to the language in the third part of the constitution, the language of "fair and free competition", "open markets" and free movement of goods, people and capital.This, they say - reciting the arguments of the far left and anti-treaty voices on the centre-left - is a recipe for "ultra-liberalism", or hard, brutal capitalism that will export French jobs to eastern Europe, flood France with Polish plumbers and destroy French public services. In fact, the third part of the treaty, on which these arguments are based, is almost entirely the old gospel of Europe, copied word for word from the 1957 Treaty of Rome. If you push them, many French centre-left voters are evidently unaware of this fact.The "non" campaign propaganda has made it sound as if the language is all new and invented by Tony Blair and George W Bush.
It can also be seen as a cry of pain from the "failing" France of 10 per cent unemployment, rather than the "winning" France of the Airbus and thriving car-making, luxury goods and service industries.There is an element of truth in both arguments. It is tempting to talk of today's vote as a fracture between the French "elite" and the French "people". Even the "medieval" Carcassonne - beautiful as it is - was largely reconstructed in the 19th century. In part, this is because of an exaggerated fear of competition from eastern Europe. Partly too, the anti-globalist movement has made anti-capitalist arguments respectable once again in France (where they never wholly went out of fashion).Other EU countries may reject the treaty for various reasons; but no other country is likely to do so because a key section of the electorate rejects the principle of free markets.In France, or amid the kaleidoscope of different Frances, appearances are often deceiving.
The "oui" campaign - limp and defensive - has been unable to nail this central lie.Some centre-left voters are well aware that Part Three of the treaty is the old EU religion of Monnet and Schuman, but they still don't like it. Children as young as 10 caught behaving anti-socially will be fingerprinted and have their DNA sampled before being marched home to their parents for an instant £30-£40 fine in a scheme to be launched next month. Penalty notices will be issued for nuisance crimes such as vandalism, harassing neighbours and dropping litter.A spokesman for the Home Office said last night that it would allow the police to deal with youth crime "quickly and firmly while at the same time sending a message to parents".Police are hoping that the scheme will cut out paperwork and save time. This 10,000ft vertical descent, given that we were all still tired from summit day yesterday, would definitely not be easy.On the knife-edged ridge, Greg and I were both nervous A strong wind was constantly blowing us off balance It was laboriously slow as we made our way down. This led Clark to believe that one of them had knocked the other one off the crevasse at the top of the pass.I cannot tell you how shocked and sad I was.
