Cablegate: Media Reaction Report - Un Reform
This record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available.
UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 PARIS 001925
SIPDIS
DEPT FOR INR/R/MR; IIP/RW; IIP/RNY; BBG/VOA; IIP/WEU; AF/PA;
EUR/WE /P/SP; D/C (MCCOO); EUR/PA; INR/P; INR/EUC; PM; OSC ISA
FOR ILN; NEA; WHITE HOUSE FOR NSC/WEUROPE; DOC FOR ITA/EUR/FR
AND PASS USTR/PA; USINCEUR FOR PAO; NATO/PA; MOSCOW/PA;
ROME/PA; BRUSSELS/PA; USVIENNA FOR USDEL OSCE.
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: OPRC KMDR FR
SUBJECT: MEDIA REACTION REPORT - UN REFORM
PARIS - TUESDAY, MARCH 22, 2005
PARIS - WEDNESDAY, MARCH 23, 2005
(A) SUBJECTS COVERED IN TODAY'S REPORT:
1. EU SUMMIT - EU CONSTITUTION REFERENDUM
2. VALUE OF THE DOLLAR
(B) SUMMARY OF COVERAGE:
THE FRENCH VOTE TO REJECT THE EU CONSTITUTION, THE DEBATE OVER
THE BOLKESTEIN DIRECTIVE TO LIBERALIZE SERVICES AND THE
RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN FRANCE AND THE REST OF EUROPE IN LIGHT OF
THE EUROPEAN ECONOMIC SUMMIT DOMINATES HEADLINES AND EDITORIAL
COMMENTARIES TODAY.
"EUROPE SICK OF FRANCE" LEADS LEFT-OF-CENTER LIBERATION, THE
HEADLINE IN RIGHT-OF-CENTER LE FIGARO: "CHIRAC WANTS BRUSSELS
TO YIELD" ON THE BOLKESTEIN DIRECTIVE AND LEFT-OF-CENTER LE
MONDE PUTS FORWARD THAT: "BRUSSELS IS MAKING FRANCE FACE ITS
RESPONSIBILITIES."
EDITORIALS ANALYZE THE STATEMENT MADE ON THE EVE OF THE EU
ECONOMIC SUMMIT BY EU COMMISSION PRESIDENT, JOS MANUEL
BARROSO, WHICH URGED FRENCH LEADERS TO EXPLAIN THE EU
CONSTITUTION TO VOTERS RATHER THAN TO BLAME BRUSSELS'
INITIATIVE TO LIBERALIZE SERVICES. LEFT AND RIGHT LEANING
DAILIES, AS WELL AS THE REGIONAL PRESS DEEM MR. BARROSO'S
ANNOYANCE TO BE JUSTIFIED. (SEE PART C)
ECONOMIC DAILIES FOCUS ON THE U.S. FEDERAL RESERVE INCREASE IN
INTEREST RATES: "U.S. MONETARY POLICY TIGHTENED ONCE AGAIN"
HEADLINES ECONOMIC RIGHT-OF-CENTER LES ECHOS AND CENTRIST
BUSINESS-ORIENTED LA TRIBUNE: "THE FED TIGHTENS THE SCREWS
AGAIN." (SEE PART C)
INTERIOR MINISTER DOMINIQUE DE VILLEPIN IS INTERVIEWED IN LEFT-
OF-CENTER LE MONDE ON TERRORISM. ASKED TO COMMENT ON THE
LIBERATION OF ALL OF THE FRENCH PRISONERS FROM GUANTANAMO, MR.
DE VILLEPIN ANSWERED: "WE DO NOT HAVE ANY LESSONS TO GIVE TO
ANY COUNTRY, BUT I WOULD LIKE TO REITERATE THAT THE PRINCIPLES
OF DEMOCRACY ARE OUR BEST DEFENSE AGAINST TERRORISM. I AM
HOSTILE TO ANY EXCEPTIONS THAT ARE MADE OUTSIDE OF THE LAW;
NOTHING PROVES THAT THEY WILL CONTRIBUTE TO THE FIGHT AGAINST
TERRORISM."
(C) SUPPORTING TEXT/BLOCK QUOTES:
EU SUMMIT - EU CONSTITUTION REFERENDUM
"TWO VIEWS"
THE UNSIGNED EDITORIAL IN LEFT-OF-CENTER LE MONDE (03/23):
"FRENCH OFFICIALS SEEM TO HAVE FALLEN INTO THE HABIT OF SAYING
ONE THING IN BRUSSELS AND ANOTHER IN PARIS. IT IS THIS
ATTITUDE THAT IRRITATES MR. BARROSO AND IT IS UNDERSTANDABLE.
ON THE OTHER HAND THE EU COMMISSION'S PHLEGMATIC ATTITUDE
TOWARDS THE MALAISE THAT IS GROWING IN FRANCE WITH REGARD TO
THE CONSTITUTION ANNOYS PARIS. NO MATTER WHAT ANYONE SAYS
TODAY, THE BOLKESTEIN DIRECTIVE IS HENCEFORTH LIKED TO THE
CONSTITUTION REFERENDUM. JACQUES CHIRAC HAS, FOR TOO LONG,
TRIED TO HOLD TWO POINTS OF VIEW AT ONCE, AND NOW HE AND HIS
GOVERNMENT ARE IN AN ALMOST INSURMOUNTABLE IMPASSE."
"EUROPE AND THE TUG-OF-WAR"
PIERRE ROUSSELIN IN RIGHT-OF-CENTER LE FIGARO (03/23): "JOSE
MANUEL BARROSO WAS RIGHT TO SAY THAT EUROPEAN DECISIONS SHOULD
NOT BE MADE ACCORDING TO JUST ONE COUNTRY AND THAT EUROPE
CANNOT ABANDON ITS ECONOMIC PROGRAM JUST BECAUSE THERE IS A
REFERENDUM IN FRANCE."
VALUE OF THE DOLLAR
"WHO'S FAULT?"
FRANCOIS-XAVIER PIETRI IN CENTRIST BUSINESS-ORIENTED LA
TRIBUNE (03/23): "AND THIS TIME MAKES SEVEN! THE INTEREST
RATES HAVE BEEN RAISED SEVEN TIMES IN A ROW BY THE AMERICAN
FEDERAL RESERVE. THE LEAST WE CAN SAY IS THAT ALAN GREENSPAN
CARRIES THINGS THROUGH AND THE CONTROL OF THE AMERICAN
CURRENCY REMAINS COMPLETE, IN TERMS OF THE ACTUAL RATES, BUT
ALSO IN TERMS OF COMMUNICATION. THE FED HAS ALSO STRESSED THE
SOLID RATE OF AMERICAN GROWTH WHICH IS GOOD NEW FOR GROWTH
WORLDWIDE. WHAT IS GOING ON IN THE U.S. HAD BEEN PREDICTED BUT
NOW ALL EYES ARE ON EUROPE AND THE ECB. IN EUROPE, WE WOULD DO
WELL TO PROMOTE HOUSEHOLD CONSUMPTION RATHER THAN SLOW IT
DOWN." LEACH