Chirac Ready To Turn His Anger On Blair If France Votes Non

The Telegraph (UK) ^ | 5-28-2005 | Toby Helm

[blam]

Chirac ready to turn his anger on Blair if France votes Non

By Toby Helm, Chief Political Correspondent
(Filed: 28/05/2005)

Tony Blair and Jacques Chirac will be pitched into a furious six-month dispute over the future direction of the European Union if the French people vote No to the EU constitution tomorrow.

Government sources are braced for the French president to round on the Prime Minister and blame him for making the constitution too "Anglo-Saxon" on economic issues and for plunging Europe into crisis as a result.

The French people go to the polls on Sunday

They also expect Mr Chirac to launch a fresh assault on Britain's £3 billion rebate from the EU budget.

British diplomats believe that Mr Chirac will call for France, Germany and other nations to form a "core Europe" in which they can push ahead with integration without being held back by laggards such as Britain.

However, Mr Blair and Gordon Brown, the Chancellor, want to use Britain's six-month EU presidency, which begins on July 1, to argue that eurozone economies need flexible British and American-style economies rather than heavy regulation and tax harmonisation.

Speaking in Rome yesterday after talks with Silvio Berlusconi, his Italian counterpart, before the G8 summit in July, Mr Blair described economic reform as "essential".

He said: "The big issue that faces our citizens now in Europe is how do we increase our prosperity in an era of globalisation, in an era of intense competition - not just within Europe but outside Europe."

Mr Blair is spending the bank holiday in a Tuscan villa with his wife, Cherie, and son, Leo, five. Downing Street would not confirm that the Blairs were staying as guests of Prince Girolomo Strozzi near Sienna.

Government officials say Mr Blair will give no quick response about the implication for a British referendum of a French No. Ministers are expected to hold emergency discussions with their EU counterparts and the European Commission before any decisions are taken.

A YouGov poll for The Daily Telegraph today finds that 42 per cent of voters believe that, even if the French say No, a referendum should go ahead here because relations with the EU are so important.

[Jeff Head]

British diplomats believe that Mr Chirac will call for France, Germany and other nations to form a "core Europe" in which they can push ahead with integration without being held back by laggards such as Britain.

Fortress Europa?

[Torie]

British diplomats believe that Mr Chirac will call for France, Germany and other nations to form a "core Europe"

Ludicrous.

[Paul Atreides]

Chiraq's anger is nothing. It's those armpits you have to watch out for.

[basil]

Why do I always think of sheep being led to the slaughter when I hear about the European Union?

[Fruitbat]

British diplomats believe that Mr Chirac will call for France, Germany and other nations to form a "core Europe" in which they can push ahead with integration without being held back by laggards such as Britain.

ROFLMAO!!!

Yeah, join the most backward collection of retarded political idiots or get left behind.

Thank you sir, may I have another!

[Txsleuth]

Actually, I am sure the DEMS would love the EUs type of election...I do believe I read that on this vote, there will be a "do-over" vote, if the country doesn't like these results....

HMMMMMM---the dems already want to do away with the electoral college, are "do-over" elections, far behind?

[Fruitbat]

Chiraq's anger is nothing. It's those armpits you have to watch out for.

Actually it's the nose. Just don't stand to his side when he turns to look.

[Paul Atreides]

Didn't Tootie once turn her anger on Blair, or was that Mrs. Garrett?

[Chode]

[Captain Peter Blood]

I predicted many years ago that the idea of the Eu was destined to fail as countries started to realize that they were giving up way too much for what they were getting.
The Spirit of Nationalism would soon rear it's head and that would be the undoing of the whole idea and of course it started with the smaller countries like Denmark and the Netherlands who would not want to be totally overshadowed by their bigger rivals particularly France & Germany.
The whole thing has been ill conceived and thought out, most especially the EU Constitution itself which tries to address and redress any potential and imagined wrongs and runs I believe over 300 pages. What a mess.
France being France and the French people being the snobs they are are now having second thoughts and I think they will vote not to ratify but I also think it will be a close vote.
All the French have to do is look around at the insane immigration polices they have and all of the Muslim Ghettos that are all over the place to realize that their unique culture that they prize almost above all else is sinking into the Abyss and they along with it.
This whole thing is unraveling along with 60 plus years of Socialism that has brought their countries to their knees and this is the end result.

[Shermy]

Franco-Germanic Empire.

[Malesherbes]

France and Germany will form a "core." Chirac had better check with Angela Merkel first. His old buddy Gerhard won't be around after September.

[lafroste]

A YouGov poll for The Daily Telegraph today finds that 42 per cent of voters believe that, even if the French say No, a referendum should go ahead here because relations with the EU are so important.

Excuse me, but doesn't this mean that 58% see no need for a referendum if the french say no? Doesn't this mean that 58% think that relations with the EU aren't all that important? Aren't we talking nearly 2 to 1 against a referendum? I'm missing something here. Can anyone explain this to me?

[Lurker]

Maybe they can finally figure out how to get that Maginot Line thingy to work.

L

[burzum]

"British diplomats believe that Mr Chirac will call for France, Germany and other nations to form a "core Europe" in which they can push ahead with integration without being held back by laggards such as Britain. However, Mr Blair and Gordon Brown, the Chancellor, want to use Britain's six-month EU presidency, which begins on July 1, to argue that eurozone economies need flexible British and American-style economies rather than heavy regulation and tax harmonisation."

France is not pleased because some members are not nearly as socialist as they are. A little research I did from the CIA factbook on several countries' revenue to GDP (makes it easy to pick out the socialist ones):

• US--16.2%
• Japan--37.0%
• Germany--47.5%
• United Kingdom--41.3%
• France--53.1%

Even though the EU has about 500 million people, they have an economy (based on GDP of about $11 trillion) about the same size as the US only with drastically higher taxes. The socialist laws make it harder for businesses to take risky but potentially profitable strategies. Additional socialist regulations and tariffs make it difficult for start up companies to compete. France's actions are out of desperation to keep a socialist control of Europe. The UK is rejecting France's socialistic actions, so France wants them gone. Fortunately, it will not hurt the UK in the long term.

[dead]

British diplomats believe that Mr Chirac will call for France, Germany and other nations to form a "core Europe"

Geography aside, can we get them to take Canada too?

[TFine80]

Yes, and other Brits are angry about the French situation because otherwise they could have had a nice, clean vote rejecting the EU once and for all.

Now everything is all messed up and confused.

[Jeff Head]

Their leaders want the relationship regardless of what the people want and they are trying to blame the loss on Blair and the English. Saying that the agreement was too "British" for the French to vote for it. So they will go back to their back rooms and craft a new agreement and try again.

[Jeff Head]

Dude...you crack me up...lol!