France's rejection of the European Constitution looks like a vote of fear. According to David Ignatius:

France's stunning rejection Sunday of a new European constitution was, most of all, a noisy protest against the disruptive, leveling force of economic globalization. You could see that in television images of the "no" voters as the result was announced -- burly arms raised in the air, fists cocked -- as if by rejecting a set of technical amendments to European rules they could hold back a threatening future.

Yes, anti-globalization forces are strong in France, but there is more to this story, including the  passionate feelings against Chirac. Perhaps an underappreciated aspect of this story is the sense in France and in the Netherlands and elsewhere in Europe that the EU is out of control. With 25 member states, it seems less manageable than ever before. And more distant from the people. For the Non voters in France yesterday, rejection of the European Constitution must feel good. Democracy usually does, and the people of Europe rarely feel that in their dealings with the European Union.

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