Macron isn't Johnson's friend - he's leveraging British weakness to strengthen France

Politici ^ | 28 October 2019 | Jake Lynch

[Cronos]

France has never quite reconciled itself to Britain's EU membership, ever since De Gaulle's famous non in the 1960s. Once Britain did join, Parisian perspectives on a more fully integrated Europe were often thwarted by scheming from London. Now, Emmanuel Macron, who has staked his presidency on reviving that project, wants to ensure the obstacle is finally removed.

France was the sole sceptic of the EU's decision to grant an extension of Article 50 this morning. The relationship between Macron and Boris is increasingly portrayed as an unexpected bromance. But the reality is more prosaic and hard-headed. Macron is taking advantage of Britain's absence from the top EU tables to build a nest of French design.

...Look at what is happening in the expansion debate. At a Brussels summit a fortnight ago, membership applications by Albania and North Macedonia were knocked back, with France alone in vetoing the latter. It was, the president declared, "a dispute about vision". Brussels needed to give itself stronger powers to set and maintain standards, as shown by its present impotence in preventing Hungary and Poland from backsliding towards autocracy: only then should it consider new members.

Through the phase of EU expansion in 2004

The dominant metaphor for the enlargement process was not a wall but a fence. States had to align their institutions with EU laws and standards to get over it. It fitted with the French view of a Europe arranged in concentric circles, each guarded by a new barrier: a core of members deepening their cooperation, while others remained on the periphery.

But Britain had another view. Nigel Sheinwald, then-Foreign Office press secretary, briefed journalists in Luxembourg that London's preferred image was a "pipeline". Countries might travel along it at different speeds, but it was not designed to keep anyone out.

[Cronos]

The frogs are happy to see and to help the Brits destroy themselves.

The British pushed to get the EU to expand while France didn't and doesn't want that

[Kriggerel]

Yes, and with the newest Brexit delay that was approved today, it looks like Chancellor Merkel has decided that Master-Blaster Run Bartertown.

[ryderann]

DeGaulle was all about DeGaulle and wasn’t trusted by Ike and Churchill. Macron is the same.

[GOP Congress]

Brexit = Trump. There is a direct and unambiguous correlation between the two movements. Trump is, essentially, the “Brexit” of real Americans from the Deep State, while Brexit is essentially the elimination of Deep State bureaucracies from the will of the people.

Apples to apples comparison. Brexit = Trump. Trump = Brexit.

Math lesson over.

[Stirner]

I thought the extension had to be unanimous, that any one country could block it, and the result would be a no-deal Brexit on 10/31. If France voted no, how did the extension go ahead?