EU in Crisis

There were several reasons behind the resounding ?no? of the French and the Dutch public to the European constitution. In both countries, the ?no? campaign drew in the far right and the left as well as more mainstream voters. While it was also a sharp vote against the governments of both countries, there was also the clear feeling of distance from Brussels and the elitist EU project. The rejection has set the stage for a period of introspection into the EU?s future directions. The EU must learn to operate with its new large membership and face up to the changing global environment.