French Unilateralism

[Shane Costello]

French shrug off breaching Euro stability pact (www.no-euro.com/mediacentre/dossiers/display.asp?IDNO=1151)

Having told those European leaders with the temerity to differ from French policy to watch their manners, the French government has now told the EU commission to take a running jump.

"M Raffarin is acting on the orders of President Chirac, who wants to see income tax cut by a third during his five-year presidential term and increased spending on police and defence. M Chirac refuses to risk domestic unpopularity for Europe's sake. The last time he tried drastic reforms of the French economy in 1997, he ended up losing control of parliament."

"The news will intensify anger in Brussels towards France. Many countries are still livid with M Chirac for threatening the entry into the EU of those Eastern European countries which support America's position on Iraq.

They are also uneasy at France's efforts to re-energise the faltering Franco-German alliance in order to bully through its plans for the future EU constitution."

Why is it that a lot of people on this side of the world get very indignant about what they see as American unilateralism and abuse of power, and yet remain silent about same when it occurs right on their doorstep?

[bjornart]

Originally posted by Shane Costello
French shrug off breaching Euro stability pact (www.no-euro.com/mediacentre/dossiers/display.asp?IDNO=1151)

Having told those European leaders with the temerity to differ from French policy to watch their manners, the French government has now told the EU commission to take a running jump.

"M Raffarin is acting on the orders of President Chirac, who wants to see income tax cut by a third during his five-year presidential term and increased spending on police and defence. M Chirac refuses to risk domestic unpopularity for Europe's sake. The last time he tried drastic reforms of the French economy in 1997, he ended up losing control of parliament."

"The news will intensify anger in Brussels towards France. Many countries are still livid with M Chirac for threatening the entry into the EU of those Eastern European countries which support America's position on Iraq.

They are also uneasy at France's efforts to re-energise the faltering Franco-German alliance in order to bully through its plans for the future EU constitution."

Why is it that a lot of people on this side of the world get very indignant about what they see as American unilateralism and abuse of power, and yet remain silent about same when it occurs right on their doorstep?

I fail to see how "Many countries are still livid..." can be called silent. Did you want demonstrations in the street? Well there is a teency difference between 'unilateraly' going to war, an activity that tends to kill people' and 'unilateraly' messing with the pan-european economy. Not having a vote in the runnings of that economy I will now shut up.

[iain]

Originally posted by bjornart
I fail to see how "Many countries are still livid..." can be called silent. Did you want demonstrations in the street? Well there is a teency difference between 'unilateraly' going to war, an activity that tends to kill people' and 'unilateraly' messing with the pan-european economy. Not having a vote in the runnings of that economy I will now shut up. Agreed. A war is one thing. Why on earth would people from around the world (or even Europe) feel motivated to take to the streets to protest against the French cutting taxes? Or even about the intricacies of European politics, which few understand and even fewer really care about. It doesn't mean that no one cares though, as the quote makes clear.

[Shane Costello]

This is beside the point I'm trying to make, and has nothing to do with the merits, or lack therof, of military action against Iraq, or the Euro growth and stability pact. The point has been made ad nauseum, on this board and elsewhere, that America has been acting unilaterally, arrogantly, and abusing it's power. What I'd like to know is why French arrogance and abuse of power doesn't seem to arouse the ire and indignation America's actions do.

Originally poSted by Bjornart:
I fail to see how "Many countries are still livid..." can be called silent.
I said "a lot of people" are exercising a double standard IMO. I never singled out countries or governments.

Originally posted by Iain:
Why on earth would people from around the world (or even Europe) feel motivated to take to the streets to protest against the French cutting taxes?

It's a bit more than that. France doesn't feel obligated to adhere to the Growth and Stability pact. Ireland got censured by the EU some years ago over our economic policy. We also had to vote twice on the same referendum (on the Nice Treaty) because we rejected it the first time around. One of the reasons given for this was that it was selfish of Ireland to deny EU accession to Eastern European states, yet now we see the French threatening the same states that they are jeopardising their chance of entry by not toeing the French line.

Or even about the intricacies of European politics, which few understand and even fewer really care about.

If that's the case then it's time we get informed and start giving a damn.

It doesn't mean that no one cares though, as the quote makes clear.

I was making the point about those people wailing about American arrogance, while remaining mute about French arrogance.

[bjornart]

Originally posted by Shane Costello
This is beside the point I'm trying to make, and has nothing to do with the merits, or lack therof, of military action against Iraq, or the Euro growth and stability pact. The point has been made ad nauseum, on this board and elsewhere, that America has been acting unilaterally, arrogantly, and abusing it's power. What I'd like to know is why French arrogance and abuse of power doesn't seem to arouse the ire and indignation America's actions do.


Let me repeat: People are indignated and irate that the French are arrogant and abuse their power, but anyone in their right mind can't expect people to feel the same need to display that ire when the topic is economics and not war.

If you feel that the US gets more ire and indignation even if we leave out the current situation, please say so. That could actually be an interesting discussion.

[corplinx]

All of a sudden the French resistance makes sense. France is a country with _bad_ problems. Worse than our problems with social security spending bad. Their unemployment has been through the roof for years.

Unfortunately, noone has had the political capital to do anything about it. Maybe this strong stance on Iraq was to build political capital to make unpopular but necessary domestic changes to get France out of its rut.

The worst enemy of the French economy is the French people who treat the government like a labor union and demand all sorts of laws get passed that decrease productitvity and increase the cost of doing business.