I spent the 2004–2005 academic year in France, culminating with theMay 29th referendum on the European Union constitutionaltreaty. Fifty-five percent of voters rejected it. Three days later,62% of Dutch voters followed suit. These were unexpected results,especially in France, a country where 80% declare themselves infavor of European integration. In other member states, a simple rulegenerally applies: those whose priority is to strengthen the EU areon the “yes” side, while the “no” is identified with those whoemphasize national interests. In the Netherlands, though the murderof filmmaker Theo van Gogh by an Islamic radical was a factor, the“no” forces won essentially because they persuaded enough peoplethat the direction the Constitution would take the Netherlands wentagainst Dutch interests. To do so, they played on the resentmentthat Brussels took their money but ignored Dutch concerns—“the samepeople who fooled you with the euro are fooling you now with thisconstitution.”