Hereford Posted May 7, 2005 Share Posted May 7, 2005 Having registered to vote at our local Mairie (we thought it would be a good idea for local elections) we were surprised last week to receive two large packages with all the info on the referendum this month. The also packs included two small pieces of paper, one saying "Non", the other "Oui".Has anyone else had these packs? We had not thought we would be eligible to vote. If you have - do we keep the small pieces of paper for the actual vote or are they just examples?Any thoughts appreciated - we would not like to look too silly when we turn up to vote! We have read some bits of the treaty and it does not include the right to vote in national elections where you live and pay your tax unless you are a national of that country.ThanksH. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tourangelle Posted May 7, 2005 Share Posted May 7, 2005 I expect they just sent it out indiscriminantly to all those on the electoral register without looking too closely. This site says you can't votehttp://www.service-public.fr/accueil/europe_referendum_participation.html Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hereford Posted May 8, 2005 Author Share Posted May 8, 2005 Thanks for that link. It does indeed say that we cannot vote. Saved a lot of embarassment on 29th.H.PS One wonders whether we will be able to vote in the UK one! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Missy Posted May 10, 2005 Share Posted May 10, 2005 [quote]Having registered to vote at our local Mairie (we thought it would be a good idea for local elections) we were surprised last week to receive two large packages with all the info on the referendum thi...[/quote]Quote:<>UnquoteDo I read correctly what this treaty is saying?...Such as : one is not allowed to vote in the national elections of a particular country if you are not a national of that country... Well nothing new in that. Lived in UK 25+ years and still waiting to be allowed to have a say on how my taxes are spent!! And : pay taxes unless you are a national of that country...Well!!...Mister Brown, Major, Lamont, Lawson...Healey (Gosh! SO many have been at the post that I am forgetting 1/2 of them!) CAN I PLEASE HAVE A REFUND!!! Worth 25+years of duly paid taxes which I estimate between £50000-£60000,as I am not a national of the UK!! Indexed link please + interests! I am sure it would reach the £100000... Would go a long way to help buy my nest back home (France)!!No wonder we are seeing nothing of this treaty in UK!.. or be allowed to have a say on it. I commiserate with all of you in France who can't have a say about it either for the same reasons as me but the otherway round... At least you have a chance to read about it as you got it in your post box... can't see this happening in UK somehow... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tourangelle Posted May 10, 2005 Share Posted May 10, 2005 Frankly I know TB has said he is having a referendum, but I can just see him weasling out at the last moment if the French or the Dutch say no. Besides which, as I understand it, in France the vote is decisive, in Britain it is still parliament who decides. I am not sure this treaty is saying anything new, the argument put forward by part of the no camp at the moment seems to be that it doesn't go far enough. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mistral Posted May 11, 2005 Share Posted May 11, 2005 I've heard that every country has a veto right which means that if even one country refuses it, then they'll have to start all over again. the echos are that if france votes non, then they'll try and do another vote in 6 months time. I've understood the same thing as Tourangelle, the British parliament uses the referandum as an indication of the public opinion, but in France it is binding. The fact you got all the paperwork is strange. You usually only get the official blurb for elections you are allowed to vote in. It might be a good idea to check with the mairie they haven't put you on the wrong list. About the oui and non papers, they can be used to vote with as long as they haven't been written on or anything, but there are always spare voting slips at the polling stations which most people use. I think the main idea is so you can prepare yourself for your vote. It probably came from the time when not everybody could readMy envelope arrived this morning. Now I'm going to have to plough through pages of boring legalised french (or read one of the explanations the newspapers are doing- so far I've been offered le monde and humanité's versions) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Missy Posted May 13, 2005 Share Posted May 13, 2005 [quote]I've heard that every country has a veto right which means that if even one country refuses it, then they'll have to start all over again. the echos are that if france votes non, then they'll try and ...[/quote]I quote That is the point : By offering a referendum to the people of France, the government is accepting the will of the electorate. That is why it is binding.To the contrary of Britain where there will be no referendum because the 'masses' is considered ill informed! Of course it is ill informed as it is not given, by its government, the opportunity to read about this proposed constitution to make its own judgement about it as most other European have been given. Britain will not offer a referendum as it is much too afraid of the public opinion. The last elections have been a serious warning to many Mandarins in the Ivory Tower!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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