France's Club Med

France's Club Med

www.ft.com

Nicolas Sarkozy will perform a diplomatic feat on Sunday when he gathers together 40 prime ministers and presidents to launch the Union for the Mediterranean, his drive to revive economic and political co-operation between the northern and southern shores of mare nostrum.

(visit the link for the full news article)


Related News Links:
www.france24.com
www.csmonitor.com

The time has come to rebuild the Roman Empire !

More seriously, such an Union for the Mediterranean should have been settled decades ago, say as a timely response to US ingerence into the so-called decolonizations process...

And this, in spite of UK press' sarcasms as shown by this thread's title (although somewhat funny for sure)... Who still believes UK's euro/foreign policies aren't the moves of a pawn of the US ?...



www.ft.com
(visit the link for the full news article)

[edit on 12-7-2008 by Rigel]

reply to post by Rigel


It seems a bit like an EU-lite, except without Britain and Germany to take centre stage alongside France (unless we use Gibraltar as a way in? ). The EU isn't going France's way at the moment (there's pressure to change farming quotas and such, and the UK and Germany are pulling in different directions than the French) so this seems to be like a France dominated surrogate. Let's face it, out of all the nations based around the Mediterranean, France is the most populous and most economically successful.

As for not joining the Euro... that's largely Gordon Brown's doing. Blair was very keen to join the Euro but Brown as Chancellor effectively vetoed it. I can't see the UK joining in the next decade (since Brown won't join and neither will the Conservatives).

Originally posted by Ste2652
reply to post by Rigel

 

It seems a bit like an EU-lite, except without Britain and Germany to take centre stage alongside France (unless we use Gibraltar as a way in?

). The EU isn't going France's way at the moment (there's pressure to change farming quotas and such, and the UK and Germany are pulling in different directions than the French) so this seems to be like a France dominated surrogate. Let's face it, out of all the nations based around the Mediterranean, France is the most populous and most economically successful.

Indeed, and France's links with Maghreb are also deeply rooted (long presence in Africa, and specially in the north of it) - and today french citizens of maghrebian origin are struggling again many issues about their true integrations within french society. Sarkozy's move for M.U. can also be interpreted as an effort to re-establish there a political tradition of trade and diplomacy in order to integrate in France's foreign policy a social reality which truly makes the countries of the south-bank of the mediterranean sea more and more historically-legit partner of French "civilisation". This also, given Sarkozy's response to immigration issues, to develop economical partnership aiming the limitation of migratory fluxus.

This said, it's not surprising that UK and Germany be not very interested in such a process given their geographical, if not strategical, situation. Still as stated in the FT article did Merkel push Sarkozy to play collective on that MU question (probably afraid of too much french influence when EU has is long story of franco-german cooperation).

As for not joining the Euro... that's largely Gordon Brown's doing. Blair was very keen to join the Euro but Brown as Chancellor effectively vetoed it. I can't see the UK joining in the next decade (since Brown won't join and neither will the Conservatives).

But what moves Brown ? Or who ?...






[edit on 12-7-2008 by Rigel]

[The FT is our most pro-European paper btw]

Oh, Gordon Brown is very MUCH keen on this idea.

It gives Europe access to North African markets, American influence is blocked in the Middle East and the European Union becomes larger and bigger.

This is the EU's goal: We'll make the Union the biggest economic block in the world that no one can afford to leave.

Britain will be in the single currency soon enough. This credit crisis will lead to British membership (sadly)