Nothing but une comédie (LUDOVIC MARIN/POOL/AFP via Getty Images)
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“The impression of narrow-mindedness… prompted a great part of public opinion to turn to a spectre. This spectre was born in Geneva, and against the sterility of the French political landscape, it bore resemblance to hope. Its name was Europe.” So wrote French thinker Jean-Pierre Maxence before the Second World War. Today, it is enough to replace “Geneva” with “Brussels” for his diagnosis to neatly match the mindset of contemporary French elites, and the ideological malaise which has captured them.
Europe, Maxence argued, was a myth “that was worshipped all the more strongly the more distant it seemed”. At that time, it was associated with Aristide Briand, who led five French governments after the First World War. A “United States of Europe”, according to this “Briandist” vision, represented an imminent future that would relegate conflict between nations to the past. Today, this vision is the political alibi most eagerly used by Emmanuel Macron.
Macron’s neo-Briandism is based, above all, on the belief in “couple franco-allemand”. But lately, relations between France and Germany have fallen into a crisis. The annual government consultations between the two countries, scheduled for the end of October, have been postponed until January next year. Yesterday, Germany foreign minister Annalena Baerbock travelled to Paris to try and recover the situation, holding meetings with her French counterpart and, unusually, Macron himself. But whatever their outcome, she will be unable to rescue a relationship which has always been defined by French foreign policy delusions.
Central to their discussions was defence co-operation — a key part of the neo-Briandist dream of “strategic autonomy” — on which a rift has opened between France and Germany. In March, under the auspices of the French presidency, EU heads of state signed a declaration in Versailles pledging increased investment in European defence. A stark rebuttal of this French vision came with Germany’s decision to buy F-35 fighter jets from the US, though there are signs of cooperation over the development of the new FCAS fighter jet system. Meanwhile, the project of a European anti-missile shield, put forward by Scholz, also disregarded the work of the French aerospace company Thales and its Italian partners on the existing Mamba anti-missile system. But perhaps the greatest injury was caused by the German proposal for “harmonisation of arms exports within the EU”, which would have meant a ban on sales to non-EU and non-Nato countries, depriving the French of important customers.
China is the other issue fracturing the Franco-German couple, symbolised by Scholz’s visit to Beijing earlier this month. He went in defiance of Paris, which not only intended it to be a joint trip, but also wanted it to take place later so as not to grant legitimacy to Xi right after his propagandising Party Congress. Scholz’s actions here should not come as a surprise. He embraces the vision of German businessmen, who believe that Germany needs China, rather than strategic autonomy. In the very first phone conversation between Scholz and Xi, they agreed that economic relations between the two countries must deepen. This direction in Berlin’s policy was further confirmed by the recent sale of shares in the port of Hamburg to the Chinese.
But perhaps nothing has undermined the myth of the “Franco-German couple” more than Scholz’s rescue plan for German industry. Its scale — €200 billion — has frightened the French and other European leaders, who fear it will further compound Germany’s industrial advantage. Paris’s anxiety stems from the fact that it does not have the resources to respond to Germany’s neo-mercantilist challenge. A source close to Macron stated bluntly: “they want to crush us”. Liberal philosopher Pierre Manent noted immediately after Macron’s election in 2017 that the French “want to marry the Germans”, and called this desire “strange”. If this behaviour continues, he presciently warned, France would risk complete economic, political and intellectual vassalisation. But the French subordination to Germany did not begin with Macron — it is one of the prevailing narratives of modern French history.
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SubscribeHard to imagine, but Europe is an even bigger mess than the US and Canada.
Given its propensity for self-destruction* is that really surprising?
*( Both World Wars.)
Canada is always and always will be a mess
I think the word you’re looking for is a “muddle”
I think the word you’re looking for is a “muddle”
Not that hard given its history. There’s a phrase used in my generation for Europe’s general geopolitical position at the moment. That phrase is “sucks to be you”. Further, it won’t be long before those fighter jets the Germans are so eagerly buying will be coming with strings attached regarding relations to China.
Given its propensity for self-destruction* is that really surprising?
*( Both World Wars.)
Canada is always and always will be a mess
Not that hard given its history. There’s a phrase used in my generation for Europe’s general geopolitical position at the moment. That phrase is “sucks to be you”. Further, it won’t be long before those fighter jets the Germans are so eagerly buying will be coming with strings attached regarding relations to China.
Hard to imagine, but Europe is an even bigger mess than the US and Canada.
Macron’s efforts remind me of times in the past century when Germany has been seen as a powerful bully. Appeasement was the order of the day.
It is easy to see that the German/French alliance is a little one-sided.
Macron’s efforts remind me of times in the past century when Germany has been seen as a powerful bully. Appeasement was the order of the day.
It is easy to see that the German/French alliance is a little one-sided.
Search: French political victories over Germany.
Answer: Your seach – French political victories – did not match any documents. Did you mean ‘French political defeats?‘
If one were to search military victories instead, the most recent entry would be from two hundred years ago and involve that Napoleon guy.
And the First World War? Was it an exhibition game?
Sadly a Pyrrhic victory at best.
Just like 1940 arguably was for Germany then. History is often a back and forth.
Just like 1940 arguably was for Germany then. History is often a back and forth.
Sadly a Pyrrhic victory at best.
And the First World War? Was it an exhibition game?
Ever since they pinched the Three Bishoprics in 1552 the French Army felt it had almost a divine right to cross the Rhine and ravage Germany when ever it pleased. In 1681 for example it grabbed and kept the fine Cathedral city of Strasbourg.
Also note how French writers such as Voltaire and Balzac had a rather patronising but certainly not hostile view of Germany.
All that irrevocably changed after the climactic defeat of 1870.
You couldn’t pick worst authors if you tried, Charles. Both didn’t mind Prussia because they loved Russia, you see? Voltaire “If I were younger I would make myself Russian”, on Catherine The Great paycheck. Balzac, proto-Marxist, obsessed with his young lover Countess from a disgraced Polish nobility who chose to bow before the Russian Empress.
Germany and Russia are the couple-goals Macron has wet dreams about.
You couldn’t pick worst authors if you tried, Charles. Both didn’t mind Prussia because they loved Russia, you see? Voltaire “If I were younger I would make myself Russian”, on Catherine The Great paycheck. Balzac, proto-Marxist, obsessed with his young lover Countess from a disgraced Polish nobility who chose to bow before the Russian Empress.
Germany and Russia are the couple-goals Macron has wet dreams about.
If one were to search military victories instead, the most recent entry would be from two hundred years ago and involve that Napoleon guy.
Ever since they pinched the Three Bishoprics in 1552 the French Army felt it had almost a divine right to cross the Rhine and ravage Germany when ever it pleased. In 1681 for example it grabbed and kept the fine Cathedral city of Strasbourg.
Also note how French writers such as Voltaire and Balzac had a rather patronising but certainly not hostile view of Germany.
All that irrevocably changed after the climactic defeat of 1870.
Search: French political victories over Germany.
Answer: Your seach – French political victories – did not match any documents. Did you mean ‘French political defeats?‘
Strange how the most vocal UK Europhiles (who never move to Europe or speak any european language) can blind eye / deaf ear this information. I always wonder at their motivation.
Strange how the most vocal UK Europhiles (who never move to Europe or speak any european language) can blind eye / deaf ear this information. I always wonder at their motivation.
Here’s a question, after the sanctions war against Russia (surely history’s biggest own goal since the Trojans thought a wooden horse would look real cool in their square) whose fiscal nipple will Italy, Greece, Spain etc suck on when Germany’s dries up? Germany’s economy will contract 15-20 percent, without cheap gas (LNG being at least 4x as expensive) they face de-industrialization. Companies will move to America and China.
As for France, what is the French banking sector’s exposure to the 2 trillion euro TARGET2 cesspool of bad euro denominated debts, mostly from Italy? If the euro collapses what will the franc trade at?
Well at least they have that 19 hour work wee and the best damn baguettes on the planet. Comme on fait son lit, on se couche.
Sometimes you have to make a sacrifice in the short term, for the good of the longer term. That’s what Germany is doing. No-one in their right mind would surely suggest that Germany and others should do nothing about Russia’s invasion of Ukraine? What other measure did they have up their sleeve? Military?!?
Sometimes you have to make a sacrifice in the short term, for the good of the longer term. That’s what Germany is doing. No-one in their right mind would surely suggest that Germany and others should do nothing about Russia’s invasion of Ukraine? What other measure did they have up their sleeve? Military?!?
Here’s a question, after the sanctions war against Russia (surely history’s biggest own goal since the Trojans thought a wooden horse would look real cool in their square) whose fiscal nipple will Italy, Greece, Spain etc suck on when Germany’s dries up? Germany’s economy will contract 15-20 percent, without cheap gas (LNG being at least 4x as expensive) they face de-industrialization. Companies will move to America and China.
As for France, what is the French banking sector’s exposure to the 2 trillion euro TARGET2 cesspool of bad euro denominated debts, mostly from Italy? If the euro collapses what will the franc trade at?
Well at least they have that 19 hour work wee and the best damn baguettes on the planet. Comme on fait son lit, on se couche.
France has not been in the front rank of nations since Napoleon’s time although it pretends otherwise.
France has not been in the front rank of nations since Napoleon’s time although it pretends otherwise.