May 2, 2025
Update by Mark Tiler Richmond, Politics & Law Correspondent & Duane Sandville, Outland Affairs Correspondent
Other related posts from The Bricklyn Eagle with most recent listed first:
- Bricklyn Moves Closer to Joining France as Overseas Collectivity
- Denmark Withdraws From Bricklyn Integration Talks Amidst Tariff & Greenland Concerns
- “Save Democracy” Meetings Held as Bricklyn Weighs Association With France and Denmark
- Bricklyn Reaches Landmark Agreement to Join French Republic AND Danish Realm
- Historic “Integration Conversations” Held as Bricklyn Eyes French Status
- Federal Chancellor Mum on Bricklyn Plans to Block Possible Mass Deportations
Bricklyn voters sent a clear message to the French Parliament yesterday by endorsing, by a 72% to 28% margin, Bricklyn’s joining the French Republic. The referendum easily cleared the 65% threshold needed for passage.
The Yes — or “Oui” — vote means that the proposed agreement for Bricklyn to become a French “Overseas Collectivity” — part of the French Republic with representation in Parliament — has taken a giant step forward.
Crowds of enthusiastic supporters gathered downtown to celebrate passage of the referendum.
Photo rendering by Dall E-3 AI, with prompts from Bricklyn Eagle staffer Ann Tiler Anderson.
The final step in the process will take place on May 14th when the French Parliament convenes to vote on ratification of the Franco-Bricklyn agreement.
Note: for those of you just now tuning in to this major development in the history of the Realm of Bricklyn, please take a look at the Bricklyn Eagle’s earlier coverage; links can be found at the top of this page.
Looking back, the only real surprise with the Bricklyn vote is that the win for “Yes to Association” was not surprising, as several polls released last week accurately forecast the result.
Feelings were especially bubbly at the “Yes / Oui to Association” coalition’s election night party in the grand ballroom of the Alliance Française Building (AFB) in downtown Bricklyn Junction, as champagne flowed freely. Bill Tiler French, who along with Patsy Brickerson and Jeannette Brickehl, were leaders of the “Yes” campaign, were jubilant. “This is terrific news,” exclaimed French, who also serves as the AFB’s treasurer, adding that “our confidence in Bricklyn votes has been fully justified.”
Photo rendering by Dall E-3 AI, with prompts from Bricklyn Eagle staffer Ann Tiler Anderson.
For Patsy Brickerson it was an evening of nervous energy, “I was very concerned about the high threshold needed to pass the referendum,” she told us, “but I put that aside since there was much to do in organizing ‘une sélection de desserts’ for the two hundred guests expected for our election night watch party. Thanks go to Chef Christophe Plater Poulin and his ‘equipe’ at L’Étoile du Nord for preparing the array of desserts.”
It was left to Brickehl to sound a cautionary note. “Of course I’m excited,” she said, “but we still have to win the vote in the French Parliament. Then we can truly celebrate and raise Bricklyn’s new flag.” But, Brickehl added, “while It was a milestone to have the unanimous support of Parliament’s Delegation of the Overseas, a dozen of us will still be flying to Paris to make sure the French Parliament is aware of Bricklyn’s strong support for becoming the fourteenth member of France Overseas.”
Photo rendered with assistance of Dall E-3 AI.
The “No to Association” camp soothed their disappointment by gathering at the Dunk Them Donuts shop across the street from the East End Ward 7 polling place.
One of their leaders, Angus Brickerson (no relation to Patsy Brickerson), put a brave face on the defeat while munching on a strawberry frosted donut:
“Look, we lost,” said Brickerson, “but we’ll work together as Bricklynites. Fortunately, through our efforts we got the Bricklyn negotiators to have the agreement limited to a four year trial period, after which it will expire unless renewed by Bricklyn voters. Kind of ironic that getting this ‘sunset’ provision into the agreement helped the ‘Yes’ vote pass.” ✥
We welcome Letters to the Editor. Please email to: bricklynvt@gmail.com
To the Editor: is there an iceberg ahead? I heard that some of the Overseas France delegates to the French National Assembly feel that Parliament’s Overseas Delegation Committee rammed though its recommendation to the full French Parliament to approve Bricklyn’s entry into the French Republic. The feeling, apparently, is that the French government will use Bricklyn’s entry as a way of drawing attention away from serious problems facing several of the countries that are currently part of Overseas France. — Noel T., Paris, France
To the Editor: While I appreciate reader Noel T’s concerns about “an iceberg ahead,” let’s not lose sight of the fact that the real problem we’re facing in the days ahead is not from an iceberg, but from “ICE.” We’re counting on France to give us its full support by promptly approving Bricklyn’s entry into the French Republic. At the same time, this should in no way impede the French government from addressing any problems members of France d’outre-mer may be facing. — Judith Tiler Molson, Bricklyn, VT.
