A French Region Considers the Costs of a New Europe

A recent decision by a tiny transformer factory in the French city of Schirmeck to move its facilities to Romania has energized opponents of the EU constitution. As people become increasingly angered by the loss of jobs to countries new to the EU, the French government has stepped up its campaign to win support of the constitution. Arguing that France cannot match the cheaper production costs and lenient industrial regulations of the less developed economies, the opposition has insisted that the constitution include language that would prevent intra-European competition based on economic inequities. The French government, by contrast, contends that rejecting the constitution would undermine France's influence in Europe and endanger the EU. Given the rapidly diminishing enthusiasm for European integration, the outcome of the May 29 referendum remains difficult to predict. – YaleGlobal