August 18, 2004
DID ANYTHING THE NEOCONS PROMISED NOT COME TO FRUITION?:
France's fading EU clout (Gareth Harding, 8/18/04, UPI)
It used to be said, with little exaggeration, that when France sneezed, the rest of Europe caught a cold.The European Union was founded almost half a century ago to put an end to the bloody rivalry between France and Germany, it was the brainchild of such French statesmen as Robert Schumann and Jean Monnet, and its institutions were largely modeled on those in Paris.
Successive generations of French leaders have kept Brussels on a tight leash. Former President Charles de Gaulle vetoed Britain's EU membership bid, and London stayed out in the cold for a decade. Francois Mitterand championed the euro, and national currencies were subsequently scrapped. And current French President Jacques Chirac has tied his colors to the German mast to maintain France's privileged position within the EU.
Until little over a year ago, it seemed to be a strategy that worked. Chirac and German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder struck deals on such contentious issues as the EU constitution and future farm subsidies, and the rest of Europe marched in step. "We know that in Europe, little progress is made if Germany and France are not in agreement," said Schroeder last year.
In the past 18 months, however, the Franco-German grip on the EU has begun to loosen.
What's the opposite of collateral damage? Collateral constructive? Posted by Orrin Judd at August 18, 2004 11:12 PM
