Posted on 06/24/2007 7:32:29 AM PDT by qlangley
It was Donald Rumsfeld who divided Europe into “old Europe” and “new Europe”. Old Europe means the hardcore of countries which comprise the European Union. Of those, France, Germany, Belgium and Luxembourg were hardline opponents of the Iraq war. New Europe incorporated the swathe of ex-communist countries which entered the European Union in 2005 and 2007. Where Britain, and Spain – longstanding EU nations which joined the Iraq War Coalition – or Italy and Holland, founder members which did the same, fit on this analysis is unclear.
Europe, of course, has never accepted any such division. Though Jacques Chirac told the reform countries in central and eastern Europe that they would have to “grow up” if they wanted to join the EU. By that he meant learn to agree with France, not the US.
In France, the debate is not about old or new Europe, it is about “les Anglo-Saxons”. Anglo-Saxon economics means free trade, free markets, globalization and tax cuts – Reaganomics and Thatcherism. It means reforming the labor market and confronting labor unions. It means McDonalds.
(Excerpt) Read more at quentinlangley.net ...
Well, eternal, I hope, Dr Langley !
Thanks for the promotion to a doctorate.
Yes, France will be around for a while yet. But the question is whether it will be making a positive contribution to world politics. I hope so. There is certainly reason for optimism.
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