| In what is being described as a stunning rejection of the European Unions latest move to unite the 25 nations of the EU, French voters have defeated the EU's first constitution. French President Jacques Chirac is considered humiliated by the blow. France has been seen as the cradle of continental unity for two generations. Indeed, much of the rejected constitution was written in France. The rejection by French voters threatens to set back plans for broader European integration for years to come. 55 percent of French voters rejected the constitution. It marked the first rejection in all of Europe although another defeat is expected in the Netherlands. Polls show even stronger resistance to the constitution in the Netherlands. EU leaders are scrambling to do as much damage control as possible.
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