Last Sunday, French citizens went to the polls and voted 55 to 45 percent to reject the European Union constitution. The political, economic, and social upheaval following France’s “no” vote points to a crisis of legitimacy for the constitution, which must be ratified by all 25 union countries to pass.

French President and supporter of the EU constitution Jacques Chirac is a lame duck. French Prime Minister Raffarin resigned today. The Dutch are virtually certain to reject the constitution when they vote tomorrow.

Britain, which assumes presidency of the EU in July, has no plans to resurrect the treaty, and Pime Minister Tony Blair says Sunday’s results raise “profound questions” about the future of Europe. Others cite high unemployment, anxieties about immigration, and hostility toward the newest crop of EU members as reasons for the “no” vote.

Hear about the impact of the French “no” vote on E.U. and the world.

Guests:

Peter Ford, Paris Bureau Chief, Christian Science Monitor

Simon Serfaty, senior advisor of the Europe Program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies

Charles Kupchan, senior fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations, and author of “Nationalism and Nationalities in the New Europe.”