Regards, Ivan
Posted on 06/16/2005 10:25:21 PM PDT by MadIvan
FRANCE's triumphant campaign against the European constitution is now turning its guns toward the single currency as the crisis in European politics continues to spread.
Phillipe de Villiers, the nationalist MEP who spearheaded the referendum fight against the European constitution, is now calling for a popular vote on France's continued membership of the single currency.
The French establishment remains united behind the euro, just as it did behind the constitution. But an opinion poll conducted by Ifop has suggested that the Elysee is out of touch with public sentiment, with 61 per cent of French voters saying they miss the franc.
Mr de Villiers, leader of the nationalist Movement for France, said a debate about the single currency was already under way in the founding EU nations of Germany, the Netherlands and Italy, but the French public had been denied this chance.
"To unblock this, I propose the only democratic solution that counts: a referendum on maintaining the euro," he said in an interview. "Everybody notes today that the adoption of the euro was a technical success but its economic, political and human toll is incontestable."
Mr de Villiers has been joined by other leading eurosceptic politicians who are attempting to seize on a growing public disquiet to push for the scrapping of the euro.
In Italy, the right-wing Northern League has already launched a nationwide campaign to gather enough signatures to force a referendum on the issue.
Regards, Ivan
Ping!
Don't they mean "French Non". Can't have a French word without a useless consonant.
Ah... together with some Germans long for their DM, Italians for their Lira...
This ought to do wonders for the already-plunging Euro
The Germans, once agan, are finding out how reliably insane the French really are.
This is good...and follows on the Italian request to bring back the lira and peg it to the US dollar.
Let's push this idea along...at this pace maybe by next year I can buy some French cheese again.
Don't get all caught up in the pompous, effete, élitist Villiers. He also wants to bring back the Monarchy.
And that could be worse than it is now because.....?
"The Germans, once agan, are finding out how reliably insane the French really are."
I guess the French wanting their Francs back might be judged "sane."
It is looking like the European man on the street is asking questions:
"Am I better off, now with the Euro and the EU?"
Apparently many feel the answer if "No."
Either (a) 'the Euro' or (b) 'the production of goods and services' will allow France to trade with the eurozone as well as other countries. I vote for option (b) and for the return of the franc.
I'd give you a different take.
Villiers has been a fringe character, but he looked quite good in the "Non" debate.
This is another push at a certain agenda.
I think he is a man to watch in politics, because the established hierarchy has no answers and everyone knows it.
His particular anti-Turkish, limit immigration approach has a base that, until now, has only had the odious Jean-Marie Le Pen as vocal leader. Villiers does not have the negatives of Le Pen.
Yes, he is marginal, but he keeps pushing the right buttons, and when the majors are so inept as Chi-chi and Dominiquette are, there is the possibility that Villiers could emerge. Personally, I expect him to.
But we shall see.
Good luck to him.
"Villiers does not have the negatives of Le Pen."
He has plenty of negatives, and when people get to see more of him, the less appealing he will be.
Being a monarchist is not the way to election in France.
Sarkozy is a different sort of politician, a different breed of conservative, young and appealing.
In a runoff with Delanoë ,the most popular candidate on the Left, whose negatives the PC police prevent me from elaborating on, Sarkozy rises to the top.
"What is so wrong with a country having a King or a Queen, if that Sovereign is benevolent, wise and righteous ?"
Are you sure you are on the right website?
Pursue your argument with the Founding Fathers. They would have laughted in your face.
The type of Sovereignty I am talking about is not the one you are thinking about.
(Denny Crane: "Sometimes you can only look for answers from God and failing that... and Fox News".)
"What is so wrong with a country having a King or a Queen, if that Sovereign is benevolent, wise and righteous ?
A functioning Republic could still possibly have a Sovereign King to act as an advisor and spiritual anchor I believe. Every nation needs it's wise people to hold the very fabric of the universe together.
A benevolent, enlightened monarchy that is limited in power can be a good thing for a nations people. Without guidance a nation can get into real trouble."
Taking all of this seriously for a moment, I suppose nothing.
Spain's democracy was in essence saved by the actual King, Juan Carlos, when he sided with the democracy over the desire of crypto-facists to reassert command of the country.
Holland is still a monarchy, and Beatrix is respected by her people and does not cause foolish scandals by running around with porters or wearing Nazi arm-bands to parties.
But this is France we are speaking of.
Any French king would be a Bourbon, which is to say, dumb as a post. It would be ridiculous, simply ridiculous, for France to have a king, other than the elected one that the President of the Republic effectively is, given his vast and ultimately unlimited powers in the event of a national emergency.
Besides, France already has its own version of the royal family, which is enough to titillate everyone with their goings on. Monaco, of course, is for all intents and purposes part of France, a little enclave for rich people and nobles to live in without having to go through the bother of attempting to regulate them to the national norms.
And the Monegascque royals have managed to produce some credibly attractive females who have entertained more than their fair share of the jet set on their travels, which is not a bad way to foster warm relations.
This is all fine for the Cote d'Azur, and this French version of the mini-monarchy occasionally produces nice topless photographs of the Monegascque royals lounging on the beach in their copious spare time. Similar pictures of the British royal family, since the departure of Diana, would not be as appealing at all. Nor would dear Beatrix and her brood, I am afraid.
But a king in Paris?
Well, if we must, I propose...ME.
Otherwise, I am afraid the answer must be another "Non".
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