2005 Referendum on the Constitutional Treaty: 20 Years Later, a "No" without Any Real Impact on the EU

The French and Dutch rejections of the European Constitution did not derail the Community's construction, on the contrary: with the crises of the Eurozone and Covid, Brexit, the war in Ukraine and the re-election of Donald Trump, the Union seems more legitimate than ever.

Two decades after the massive victory of no in the referendum on the treaty ratifying the European Constitution, the shadow of the election still hovers over French political life. Many current political fractures have their origin in this last referendum consultation of the French.