THE most eminent dignitaries spent 18 months on the European constitution. Led by the cerebral former French President, Valéry Giscard d’Estaing, they talked, reflected and then wrote the 66,000-word document that was to shape our destiny.

Last night, the would-be founding fathers were humiliated by a motley band of Dutch opponents who included a shy rapper, an ageing guitarist and a man in a floral dress and a red hat called Fabiola.

The Netherlands become the second member of the European Union, after France, to reject the constitution in a national referendum. The Dutch “no” camp, which began the campaign as the laughing stock of the country’s political establishment, gathered in all its eccentric splendour to celebrate a stunning victory.

Its leaders had chosen a place of high symbolism for the festivities: between the plastic crocodiles and the pink flamingos at Amsterdam zoo.

Sipping orangeade cocktails, the campaigners hardly knew whether to laugh or cheer when the result was broadcast on television: they had won an estimated 63 per cent of the popular vote, effectively killing the constitution.

Fabiola di Atlanta, who describes himself as a walking oeuvre d’art, beamed so broadly that the red make-up cracked across his cheeks. Henk Sterk clutched his guitar to his body and ran a hand through his greying hair.

Even Het Comite, the rappers who had been painfully embarrassed to find themselves on stage before several dozen people only minutes earlier, shed their inhibitions to applaud.

Truly, this was an historic moment. Frank Futselaar, a 25-year-old parliamentary assistant with the Socialist Party, walked around the children’s playground at the zoo, ducking under the giraffe statue as he yelled into his mobile. He had never known a triumph such as this before. Indeed, his marginal left-wing movement had barely known any kind of triumph before.

“At the start of the campaign, everyone was joking about us,” he said. “They never thought we would come anywhere. Just as in France, all the mainstream parties, all the media, all the elites, assumed that the constitution would be welcomed by a staunchly pro-European electorate.

“They were so confident, they barely bothered to campaign at first.” And when they did, they made a string of disastrous tactical errors. Jan Peter Balkenende, the Prime Minister, warned his compatriots that he would look a fool if they voted ‘no’.

“Who could resist the chance to make him look a fool,” Rick Denkers, 37, another member of the Socialist Party, said. “He was our greatest asset in this campaign.”

While Mr Balkenende was worrying for his international image, the “no” campaigners were developing their arguments. Fabiola resumed them with admiral eloquence.

“Europe is too big. There are too many countries and Holland is very little. I’m afraid we will get told what to do. We will lose our identity, that Brussels will dictate to us, that these unselected commissioners will override our democracy.”

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