May 31, 2005

In France, NON Means OUI

In the wake of the resounding "NON" to the European Union constitution, French president Jacques Chirac is quickly spinning the news to whatever advantage he can. (It's second nature, of course, he is a politician.)

In his address, Mr Chirac said France's rejection of the EU constitution was not a rejection of Europe, but expressed a desire for "action and results" reflecting voters' discontent.

Like easing the nearly 10% unemployment rate...

"We cannot preserve our economic and social model, we can't bring our values to other parts of the world without holding our full place in Europe," he said.

What's to preserve? A plummeting economy and a social fabric ready to come apart at the seams, with Muslim immigrants poised for defiant action? France's economic and social models are in dire need of a difibrillator, and I'm not sure even that would do the trick. And to me, "full place in Europe" sounds more like "top banana of Europe."

In fact, the whole thing makes me think of that cheesy old Hanna-Barbera show with the four guys dressed like animals running around the amusement park...the Banana Splits. France, Germany, Belgium and (fill in the blank with your favorite) all bumbling about, vying for top position on the EU bureaucratic ladder.

"Together with our partners, I will seize all possible opportunities to revive the great European ambition."

Chirac will seize? All by himself? Shouldn't that "I" be a "we," as in the French people as a whole? Methinks Chirac takes too much upon himself. The ambition, of course, is to slap America down. Bad Americans, bad!

Earlier in the day, Mr de Villepin became prime minister replacing Jean-Pierre Raffarin, who resigned in the wake of the government's EU referendum defeat.

But of course, monsieur...when the going gets tough, the minions get the axe. You didn't think Chirac would take full responsibility, did you?

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