Posted on 11/20/2006 6:57:32 AM PST by Mrs Ivan
Segolene Royal will try to force Britain to choose between being America's closest ally or being at the heart of Europe if she becomes French president, says a close aide.
Her foreign affairs adviser Gilles Savery, a French MEP, unveiled proposals for a new EU treaty, to replace the failed EU constitution rejected by French and Dutch voters.
He stressed that if Britain refuses to back the new drive towards a more powerful EU, France, Germany Spain and Italy could join forces to create a "quartet" to lead Europe.
He said: "Great Britain is absolutely indispensable to the European Union. It is a great nation, a global power.
" But the question the English have to answer is - do the English consider the English Channel to be wider than the Atlantic?
"We on the Continent have the right to deplore the fact that Great Britain appears to consider the Channel wider."
In comments that will alarm Gordon Brown, he also called for more protectionism aimed at safeguarding EU jobs in the face of globalisation. The Chancellor believes competitive businesses, rather than new trade barriers, are vital for a strong economy.
In an attack on Britain and America's military action in Iraq, Mr Savery also advocated moves towards a more common EU foreign policy.
"Europe can be relaunched with Germany, Italy and Spain. It is perfectly possible to have treaties within the treaty, among four nations," he said in an interview with The Daily Telegraph.
"If other nations want to sign up, that's good. But we cannot have a Europe where one part goes to war in Iraq, another part does not, and we all end up paying the bill.
"The question that needs to be asked is - do we want to be vassals of the United States, do we want to be a 51st state?"
Ms Royal kept largely quiet on her vision for Europe and views on foreign policy during her campaign to win the nomination to be the Socialist candidate.
She is likely to face centre-Right candidate Nicolas Sarkozy in the presidential elections next April. If she wins, Ms Royal and German Chancellor Angela Merkel could form a powerful new alliance at the heart of Europe.
Ms Royal opposes a twospeed Europe. Mr Savery accused Britain of leading an "ultra-Atlanticist" bloc within the EU.
On Ms Royal's economic policy, he added: "She believes, like all the French, that Europe should be more protective and should defend itself better."
Meanwhile, Treasury minister Ed Balls pledged that the Government will in future publish an annual statement of all EU funds spent in the UK.
Announcing the move, he branded the state of the EU budget "a disappointment and an embarrassment". Auditors have refused to give it a clean bill of health for the 12th year running.
Speaking to the Institute of Chartered Accountants in London today, Mr Balls, Mr Brown's right-hand man, will highlight widespread beliefs that EU funds are wasted or open to fraud.
Well, this much is true. That sort of thing wasn't allowed in our Union either.
It took me a moment to figure out which wars you were talking about. I thought you were referring to the Revolution and the War of 1812 and the Civil War where England was our enemy and France our ally.
England was not our enemy during the Civil War.
It's workers prevented that from happening even though they paid a heavy financial cost because in unemployment due to the Union blockade which cut the Cotton supply to the mills.
Nor was France our ally during the Civil War. It took advantage of our troubles by attempting to install a French puppet, Maximillian, as Emperor. Juarez put an end to those plans and drove them out including the French Foreign Legion backing them.
I thought Angela Merkel, being from the old East Germany, was a little more of a Bushbot than this?
Ms Royal needs to surrender NOW. And change her name. In whatever order she wants.
Madivan, we will always choose Basil Fawlty over any Jerry Lewis character.
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