Financial Times: Los blogógrafos franceses dicen NO a la Constitución europea

Primer café de la mañana. Financial Times afirma que la blogosfera francesa milita por el NO de Francia al proyecto de Tratado constitucional europeo. Y avanza razones de cierto peso. Verbatim: Les bloggeurs want a Non in EU referendum By John Thornhill in Paris Published: April 29 2005 Stanislas Magniant, director of Publicis Consultants Net Intelligenz, which tracks the web, says the No campaign appears far more computer-savvy. “The fringe parties have always been better at using the internet because they do not have the resources, or the access to prime-time media, or the warchests of the mainstream parties,” Mr Magniant says. “They put up posters at night and blog during the day. “Blogs were the big thing in the US presidential campaign and they are a big thing in this referendum. We are seeing the beginnings of real grassroots militancy on the internet,” Mr Magniant added. Although France woke up relatively late to the political implications of the internet, it has been catching up fast. There are an estimated 24m internet users in France, out of a population of 60m. The pro-constitution websites, run by the government and the mainstream parties, are formal and informational, while those run by theNo camp are chatty and polemical. Pierre Giacometti, general director of the Ipsos polling organisation, says the constitution is a natural subject for web debate. “The internet has progressed a lot in France and the referendum is a subject that can be discussed to the end of eternity,” he says. “The No supporters have many things to say. And it is simpler to criticise. The Yes is not sexy. The No is more exciting.”