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The rally coincided with the anniversary of France’s 2005 referendum, where over half of French voters—55%—voted against the proposed European Constitutional Treaty. This was a moment of hope for many Eurosceptics, who believed it signified a clear majority desire to limit EU integration. However, their hopes were dashed when, just three years later, many of these provisions resurfaced in the Lisbon Treaty, which was ratified by Parliament, bypassing the popular vote.