Europe turns on France as Britain wins new allies

UK Times ^ | June 17, 2005 | Philip Webster and Anthony Browne

[QQQQQ]

JACQUES CHIRAC suffered a double blow as the EU summit opened last night when he was forced to admit defeat over the European constitution, and Tony Blair won powerful allies for his campaign to cut French agricultural subsidies.

Mr Blair feared isolation in his battle over Britain’s £3 billion rebate unless there was a thorough overhaul of EU farm spending as well.

But Dutch and Swedish leaders backed the Prime Minister’s call for the £600 billion budget to be reduced, and Mr Blair received a surprise incentive to stall in negotiations when the conservative politician expected to be Germany’s next leader told France to cut back its agricultural subsidies.

[Dog Gone]

Thank you!

[Heatseeker]

A bit far-fetched no doubt, but how about a two-fer? Angel Merkel for German Chancellor and Sabine Herold for President of France!

[Clemenza]

Another reason for Clemenza (and other attendees of the Paris Air Show) to hate Chirac:

On Monday, I decided to take a cab from my hotel to the air show at La Bourget. Of course, I expected traffic on the beltway (Perephique?) to be awful, but then traffic just stopped for TWENTY-FIVE MINUTES as the meter on my cab continued to run. Turns out Chirac had the exit blocked to allow his motorcade to pass through. Most expensive cab ride I ever had in my life (73 Euros) and I am from New York.

[Dog Gone]

It's too late for France. Chirac represents the conservative party in France, which registers at about the John Kerry marker on the political spectrum.

The only politicians to the right are of the Le Pen stripe, which isn't really more conservative, just more blatantly racist, nationalist, and anti-American.

[nutmeg]

On Monday, I decided to take a cab from my hotel to the air show at La Bourget. Of course, I expected traffic on the beltway (Perephique?) to be awful, but then traffic just stopped for TWENTY-FIVE MINUTES as the meter on my cab continued to run. Turns out Chirac had the exit blocked to allow his motorcade to pass through. Most expensive cab ride I ever had in my life (73 Euros) and I am from New York.

Wow, you're back already? (Yes, it's the Périphérique)

Hope you had a good trip, with the exception of this ridiculous cab ride.

[expatpat]

The full title is Chancellor of the Exchequer, and Exchequer is a fancy name for Treasury.

[Dog Gone]

It is a fancy name. One might almost think it was the title of someone who bounced too many checks.

[CGVet58]

waterloo

[monkapotamus]

[Heatseeker]

It's too late for France.

I don't like to give up on a whole country. There are French FReepers (including, supposedly, Mademoiselle Herold herself). Perhaps Herold's kind of conservatism is not what most of us would like here. But it's got to be better, both for us and for France, than Chirac's.

[Dog Gone]

I don't like to give up on a whole country, either, but it's kind of like giving up on Vermont, who will undoubtedly elect the first Socialist senator in US history next year.

I guess one should always hold out hope that some sort of mass awakening will happen which will jolt the electorate into a new way of looking at things, but I just don't see anything at this time that makes me believe it will happen in France anytime soon.

Chirac's despicable government and his even more despicable prime minister are presumably preferable to the government which will undoubtedly win the next elections, the Socialists. Genuinely conservative parties in France are insignificant players.

[QQQQQ]

This is the most accurate picture of Chirac I've seen anywhere. :)