Dominique de Villepin

Dear all,

I thought I'd throw some reflections on our blog topic, now that I have a bit of free time on my hands. I don't know if you'll be reading this, but I'd love some feedback from you over the summer.

At the moment, you've probably heard of the commotion in French politics due to the referendum on the EU constitution. The French voted against it by a mighty 55% majority. Interestingly, most of the media, French as well as foreign, see this as a failure on politicians behalf. Something like a product which wasn't advertised convincingly enough. The French political authorities who tried to sell the constitution to the people and failed are treated like business managers who can't really pull off the sales figures which were expected of them.

Have a look at this article on Le Monde just to get a sense of how far removed the French media are from the reality of the French vote.

http://www.lemonde.fr/web/article/0,1-0@2-631760,36-656372@51-656094,0.html

They depict the situation like some sort of natural catastrophe which European leaders have to face. As though a storm had hit the unfortunate offices of the EU's bureaucracy, and they now have to tighten their belts and move onwards. When the going gets tough, the tough get going.

The EU is an an elitist superpower, a Goliath which conceals its muscles in its multilingual, pluriethnic, all-singing, all-dancing machine of paperwork. This referendum was yet another attempt to pressure people into committing to the super agenda of the United States of Europe (a name proposed during discussions, which ultimately settled for 'European Union'). The seemingly innocuous acceptance of 'A Europe of Healthcare', 'A Europe of social justice', a friendly giant who smiles gently and hands out his leftovers to cultural programmes, feeding the underdogs. As though Europeans wouldn't be playing music, celebrating their regional dialects or painting without some meagre donation and a plaque with 12 stars on it. As if the Irish folk songs sung in pubs and the Andalucians stamping and clapping to the Sevillana need Euros thrown at them to keep them going.

I am revolted when I read the French media discussing 'Europe' - of course they actually mean the EU, but bar a few thousand people and a few countries such as Russia, the two words are pretty much interchangeable - since the language they use really reveals the agenda of the few. Those few whose background gives them the impetus to learn from outdated textbooks summarising philosophers' theories and dates of historical events which a politician has judged more important than others. The few whose address books are filled with mobile phone numbers of friends who are or will soon become well-connected politicians, doctors, lawyers, ambassadors and business 'leaders', with whom they shared many a toga party. I met them. In fact, I went to school with them, and even spent holidays in their polished flats by the seaside and secondary residences kept clean by Philippinos. I would have probably been one of the few myself if I had chosen to study Engineering or Medicine when I finished Lycee. I might be choosing my toga as we speak, preparing to get drunk at an ENA party with the 'leaders of tomorrow'.

But beyond my life decisions, the future of French politics and EU policy still depends on the creme-de-la-creme of post-Lycee preparatory schools and Grandes Ecoles. And somehow the vote of the Maroccan cornershop owner who respects Zinedine Zidane far more than he ever will Jacques Chirac is a failure in marketing. He just didn't see enough billboards and news ads to help him make the right choice. But he'll come round to it, given the right prompting.

Choose Europe mon beur

Choose the future arabe du coin

Choose the EU constitution, and be done with your moaning.