Iraq, Chirac and Bulgaria
Mr. Chirac is very unhappy about the pro-American stands of many East-European countries. Yesterday evening at the EU emergency meeting he called Bulgaria's behavior "childish":
"They missed a great opportunity to shut up," he chided the candidates, and their pro-US stance could feed public hostility to EU expansion. Their position is already very delicate, he said, and if they wanted to diminish their chances of joining the EU they could not have chosen a better way. "When you are in the family ... you have more rights than when you are asking to join and knocking on the door," he said.
Well, it won't be a surprise that I agree more with Bulgaria's stand (joining the US against Iraq) than with Chirac's, who in my view has acted really quite dangerously in Nato last week. I'm sure that many West-European countries are underestimating the impact of the EU-enlargment on the common European policy, and I am not sure if it's the Bulgarian or the French position that is getting delicate... The relatively powerful postition of France and Germany will get less when 10 new countries are joining. Obviously they'll still be powerful, but many East-European countries are still very happy about American help during the transitional period after 1989.
The Economist has a nice article about it as well:
"The sight of a Russian president being embraced in Paris and Berlin has caused a few shivers in the capitals of ex-communist Europe. Indeed, it is the attitude of countries once under Russia's sway that is the biggest obstacle to the French dream of an autonomous Europe that would stare Uncle Sam insolently in the eye. Everything about their recent history tells people in these countries that the United States and NATO are still their only real guarantors of security. As an otherwise impeccably “pro-European” Czech diplomat puts it, “One thing we learned from the 1930s—no more security guarantees from France.” A truly common EU approach could only be settled by majority voting within the Union. But count the votes in the EU of 25 countries that will take shape in 2004, and the French and Germans are in a minority in their attitude to the United States. "
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Iraq, Chirac and Bulgaria
France is frustrated because their influence is getting less after the new countries become full EU members.
But I do think that it was a bad idea of those and other countries to sign the US letter of support they did a few weeks ago.
That counts also for the other countries signing it like Spain.
That action contributed to the disagreements we saw and see in the EU.
Iraq, Chirac and Bulgaria
Why must Europe be one-voiced? Even in our little country we do not speak with one voice in anything. If France wanted Europ to speak with one voice, they had do prepare their action better. They did not consult other countries I presume.
Jaap
Iraq, Chirac and Bulgaria
I agree, we don't need to have one point of view on everything.
But if it concerns foreign policy, we will only be seen as a powerfull continent if we have the same point of view.
If we want to count in the world, we need to become something like the united states of Europe.
Iraq, Chirac and Bulgaria
I also think it's desirable that Europe speaks with one voice. However, which voice?
I believe it's not very polite of France to pretend to speak for whole Europe ("if you don't agree with us your chances of getting in Europe will get smaller"), while the majority of European countries is behind the US. This letter is a clear sign that many countries don't agree with France's point of view.
Iraq, Chirac and Bulgaria
To get more off-topic:
I wonder what the reason was of those countries to sign the letter of support.
They must have known that it wouldn't contribute to a 'united Europe', because they knew that not all countries would sign.
Just to support the US?
What did they want to achieve?
Iraq, Chirac and Bulgaria
Well a man from Tsjeche said, in 1939 it was France that let us down and did no keep its word, and it was USA that made us free again, so who are we to trust and support?
Iraq, Chirac and Bulgaria
Hi Jean-Paul,
The letter of these countries can be found here: in English or in Dutch.
In my view they want to achieve that the US don't think whole Europe has the opinion Germany has: that attacking Iraq is not an option.
They want to show that they believe the transatlantic relationship is a strong bond -- and that there are no such huge differences between their opinions and the US opinion.