RE: How's it all playing in France itself?

From: Lee Corbin (lcorbin@tsoft.com)
Date: Tue Feb 25 2003 - 20:45:12 MST

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    Max M writes

    > [Christian wrote]
    > > The way this mess should have played out instead is that the EU
    > > sits down, after much painful negotiation comes to a common position
    > > and declaration [concerning whether or not to support the U.S./U.K.
    > > aggressive stance], and of course it is expected that the countries
    > > poised to join the Union share the common values and policy and
    > > agree with this (or diplomatically shut up).

    > Well actually the EU had done that! Then Germany and France held a
    > private meeting, where they made up their own minds, and their own
    > statements.
    >
    > The other countries then made a reply to that, with the open letter,
    > that just stated the EU's original position. France Chirac then makes
    > this stupid reply.

    This reply was not stupid in the eyes of Christian, who I believe
    lives in Germany (although OF COURSE he does not and cannot speak
    for all Germans). My question, basically, originally, was does
    or does not the statement by Chirac seem high-handed or arrogant
    to people living inside France?

    > So actually Germany and France are acting over the heads of the
    > rest of the EU. Which isn't exactly a nice thing to do, and then
    > they are getting angry when we don't just keep quiet about it.
    >
    > When Chirac then makes a statement that the new countries should act
    > more humble, he is making it all to clear to them that they are second
    > rate citizens in Europe.

    A miscalculation? Are you saying that the leader of France
    made a (perhaps hasty) miscalculation? Yes, I do concede
    that this happens from time to time; on the other hand, in
    this particular case he's throwing France's weight around;
    sometimes countries just do this, e.g., the U.S. is right
    now throwing its weight around with regard to countries
    like Iraq and North Korea, telling them what weapons they
    may or may not possess.

    But it is a miscalculation only if either (a) other EU
    countries are sufficiently annoyed by this, or (b) even
    the people within France find it unacceptable. Of course,
    if (b), then doubtless (a).

    > Which is plain stupid just before they are going to vote
    > on joining the EU.

    Sorry, I'm a bit behind on this. I thought that a number of
    smaller countries, in Eastern Europe primarily, were later on
    going to be trying to join the EU, and so France was telling
    them they'd be sorry for this attitude they have. In your
    sentence here, who is voting for what? Do you mean to say
    that countries like Denmark are *more likely* to try to
    punish France by making it *easier* for those Eastern
    European countries to join instead of harder?

    > Chirac is arrogant and no better than Bush.

    Okay, you're from Denmark, Max. And it's not surprising that
    this strikes Danish people as arrogant. Are we to suppose
    that people in France do not find this behavior questionable?
    What about Germany. Surely you know something about how
    Germans are looking at this, or not?

    Thanks,
    Lee



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