This fight over the subsidy is proving to be a bloody (click on image) one. Ya gotta admit, the French don't waste much time feeling chastened.

I have a law school classmate who also has a Phd in Agricultural Economics. We ran into each other a few days ago, and spoke briefly about the French vote on the constitution. He does some lobbying on trade bills, so he is very current on ag policies worldwide, and the ag subsidy is the biggest bone of contention between France and Blair (with several other countries on Britain's side.) He said the French ought to fear the Polish farmer a hell of a lot mnre than the proverbial Polish plumber--if Polish farmers got French level subsidies, it would break the EU, and if subsidies were eliminated and there was a free market in ag products, the Poles would wax the high cost French.

Boy, is Spain a deadbeat country.

Click the link at the bottom of the page on the Times Article:
Graphic: Neighbours from hell

The click on the chart to enlarge it.

Also: from the Times:
Europe turmoil as treaty collapses

WHO PAYS WHAT:
Net contribution to the EU budget per capita 2003
France �19
UK �42
Common Agricultural Policy receipts per capita 2003
France �117
UK �45

Do you need to know anything else?

France, one of 25 member states, gets a quarter of the agricultural subsidies, which account for 40% of the total budget.

Frankly, M. Chirac has un nerve.

Not quite. Actually, it's Gallic genius.

The French have used the EU to prop up perhaps the most inefficient agricultural sector in Europe. Lots of small holdings of 5 acres or less subsidized by the European taxpayer. The Germans aren't much better but at least the sector is a much smaller part of their workforce.

The only sensible vote by a Frenchman was for the EU because of the impact of subsidies on their economy. Without the subsidies and the compulsory purchase of French goods by EU member states, there would be no French economy at all but for a few luxury goods.

Would you buy a Renault?

Bart:

But the only sensible vote for the Frenchman, or French farmer anyway, was against the EU constitution, because it is (supposed to be) full of the sorts of things that Anglo-Saxons like: competition, growth, work.

Unfortunately, the Anglo-Saxons don't like it either because it includes, among other absurdities, proposals for a common defence policy.

The constitution is a work of genius, with something to offend everyone.

Brit,

Of course it was a work of genius. It was written by Valery Giscard d'Estaing, the former French President, a graduate of both ENA and the Polytechnique. (One can readily imagine Giscard walking around with a business card like Wile E. Coyote, reading 'Valery Giscard d'Estaing, Genius'.)

And when Wiley decides to upgrade himself to Supergenius, is about the time he realizes he's standing on the train tracks. A perfect metaphor for the recent events!

Tom,

When Giscard said for attribution that 'the Constitution is easy to understand. After all I wrote it myself,' all I could think of was Wile E Coyote filling carrots with nitro while the train was bearing down on him.