Posted on 06/10/2005 11:54:27 AM PDT by nypokerface
PARIS (AFP) - A crisis in the European Union sparked by French and Dutch voters' rejections of the EU's constitution worsened when France and Germany ganged up on Britain ahead of an important summit next week meant to reorganise the bloc's budget for 2007-2013.
French President Jacques Chirac and German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder, meeting together in Paris, told a joint news conference they wanted Britain to give up a hard-won five-billion-euro (six-billion-dollar) annual rebate it gets from the EU budget -- something British Prime Minister Tony Blair has bluntly and repeatedly ruled out.
"Above all our British friends must recognise how things have changed and the need for greater equity in the financial charges that each country bears," Chirac said.
The two leaders, representing the Franco-German axis that has long driven the European project, also urged the process of ratifying the moribund constitution to continue, despite the two referendum defeats that theoretically kill it off and Blair's decision to suspend a plebiscite on the charter next year.
"We are both in agreement in reaffirming how much the European Union... needs above all to unite and to reflect," Chirac said.
Schroeder, at his side, said it was "premature" to consider the EU constitution a dead letter.
France and Germany's forceful and shared stance, and Britain's refusal to yield set the scene for a dramatic summit of EU heads of state and government in Brussels next Thursday and Friday.
The atmosphere was expected to be especially tense between Chirac and Blair, whose usually polite relationship has degenerated into acrimony at times in the past over EU matters.
Chirac said the EU rebate Britain won in 1984 after tough negotiations by then-prime minister Margaret Thatcher was "now old".
He said each EU state "must make an effort" so that the union's financial problems do not exacerbate the political ones revealed by the resistance to the EU constitution.
But British Prime Minister Tony Blair has refused to give way, calling instead for a "fundamental review" of EU spending -- implied to mean a revision of costly EU agricultural subsidies from which French farmers greatly benefit.
The French president, whose authority at home has been enormously weakened by his country's rejection of the EU charter, countered by saying he would not overturn a deal he and Schroeder struck in 2002 to keep the agricultural subsidy system intact until 2013.
"Everyone must pay his share... but I am not prepared to compromise" on the EU Common Agriculture Policy, he said.
Schroeder did hold out the promise that France and Germany were ready to make a unspecified, "constructive compromise" at the summit.
It was the leaders' second get-together in the wake of French and Dutch rejection of the EU charter in the past two weeks.
A former European commissioner, British parliamentarian Neil Kinnock, accused Chirac of using the row over the British budget rebate as a diversion from his own problems over the EU constitution.
"Chirac playing these diversionary games simply adds to the discredit," said Kinnock, who is a member of Blair's Labour Party.
Commentators noted that Chirac and Schroeder will be going into the summit severely weakened.
Chirac faces a lame-duck presidency to the end of his mandate in 2007 because of the referendum debacle, while various electoral defeats in Germany have left Schroeder with little prospect of holding on to power in polls next year.
On the other hand, Blair last month won a third mandate and is governing one of the rare vibrant economies among the major EU members.
A veto from him would scuttle the summit and delay EU budget decision to early next year.
"Tony Blair may not have the intention of ruining the European summit. But he has the power to do so. That's his strength," the French newspaper Le Figaro said.
Hey Ivan, I'm in a debate and need a little help...
True or not: Most europeans get their news from state-run media. In particular, I'm thinking of the dutch & french.
Well that's progress...course John F* Kerry is gonna be upset and say it's all Bush's Fault!!
Yes in the case of radio and television...though the French and Dutch do have independent sources of news as well. No in the case of newspapers.
Regards, Ivan
NEIL KINNOCK is attacking Chiraq? This is fabulous -- the French and Dutch voters have finally united Britain on the question of policy towards the EU!! Margaret Thatcher was right again!!
I've gotten used to the tired old mantra from the Left that anything bad in this life is the fault of President Bush. I wonder what it must be like for him to contemplate that a group of people see him as being so all powerful.
Regards, Ivan
"For many months now the French and Germans economy has been in decline!"
No.
The French GDP grew by 2.1% in 2004.
It is on track for a growth of between 1.5 and 2.5% in 2005.
This is not a recession, not a decline.
It is moderate growth.
Faster growth would be better, of course, so long as it were sustainable.
"Chirac got spanked by the French voters. It will take a lot to create a diversion, but nice try."
Maybe the French should hire Chairman Dean.
Blair should take M. Thatcher along with him to the meeting as a sign of his goodwill! :-)
France suffers from chronically high unemployment. I see a good number of French young people coming to Britain to find work because the labour market is so constricted.
This is not something new...Theodore Zeldin wrote years ago that this was leading to particular problems in terms of youth unemployment.
Regards, Ivan
It is squabbles like this that show that Europe will never become an integrated nation like the God-blessed US of A.
And as time passes, Europe's star diminishes what with it's demographic suicide and Muslim immigration. Yes, weaker and weaker Europe becomes on the world as Thrid World countries like India and China surpass it in importance.
BWAAAAAAAA......, ROTFLMPJO!!!!!!
Mrs. Thatcher's health is not too good. However, it would be lovely if one last time, she could recover her former strength and act as Special Ambassador to the EU summit.
Regards, Ivan
There never has been, and never will be a "United Europe". I am British, not European. I have nothing in common with the French and Germans. I don't think like they do, I don't believe the same things, I'm thoroughly uninterested in importing their values or signing up to their blueprint. Our system of government was a thousand years in the making. I have no desire to ditch it for some Johnny come lately wacko design for a United Europe, scrawed on the back of a packed of Gauloises.
Regards, Ivan
Villepin made such a mess with U.S. relations that he was quietly relieved and moved to somewhere he wasn't dealing with us. Now that things are a mess with the EU, where did Villepin go?
I wonder if Chirac simply fails to understand the difference between a Rumsfeld and a Villepin.
Chirac wins my vote in the "Most Inept Leader in the World" competition. He is doing everything possible to irritate his own people and the rest of the world.
Regards, Ivan
Thanks for the update and feedback on feelings in the UK towards this latest BS from ChIraq.
"The Germans and French will have to attempt an invasion to make us cough up for their stupidity. I don't think they have sufficient testicular fortitude to even contemplate it."
Regards, Ivan
Despite his constituents vote to the contrary.
"The citizens have told us that they do not want this EU to happen-- but that will not prevent us from taking their money."
All of these tax and spend suckers sound the same around the world.
Kerry is too busy pushing the phoney impeachment bs stuff from the UK.
"Chirac wins my vote in the "Most Inept Leader in the World" competition. He is doing everything possible to irritate his own people and the rest of the world."
ChIraq is the poster Girly Boy for ultimate arrogance.
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