Dutch say 'No' to EU constitution

Dank u aan de Nederlandse mensen voor het leveren van een slag aan de antidemocratische samenzwering van de Europese Unie.

Apologies if the above is wrong - blame the translation widget in Apple OS X Tiger if it is. Anyway, thanks guys.

The EU is at a turning point. It could acknowledge the growing popular revulsion at its anti-democratic ways, or it could try to find ways to ignore the popular votes in France and the Netherlands (as it has always done before).

If it does the latter, there will be trouble. The people will only take so much and if "legitimate" politicians leave a gap for demagogues, then things could get nasty. I hope the leaders of the EU will take a long, hard think.

I am posting this from Istanbul, by the way, theoretically in an EU candidate country. That should be a remote chance now. However, if you are really cynical you could lay serious money on Turkey joining by 2015. At least if you are right to doubt the politicians' honour, you will be a rich cynic. And if you are wrong, you will be poor but less cynical.

BBC NEWS | Europe | Dutch say 'No' to EU constitution