“Crisis have ever been characterizing the history of the French-American relationship and we must solve problems one by one”

“Crisis have ever been characterizing the history of the French-American relationship and we must solve problems one by one” warns Michèle Alliot-Marie

Sophie Pedder de the Economist et nouvelle professeur de journalisme en anglais. Un exemple d'un article enfanté après une mauvaise compréhension des consignes. Un hors-sujet dont nombreux furent victime cette séance là. Il s'agissait de transformer l'entretien des Echos dans un style plus anglo-saxon. Or nous avions compris que ce style consistait à faire du sensationnel donc des interprétation très large des propos des interviewés alors qu'il s'agit davantage d'une mise en scène et d'une reprise moins baba admiration des paroles des intérrogés.

Before Brussels NATO’s meeting, which American President George W. Bush is set to attend on February 22nd , French Defence Minister, Michèle Alliot-Marie blew hot and cold over the relationship between France and the US.

In a joint-interview to Financial Times and its French counterpart Les Echos, the energetic minister appeared eager to demonstrate that all hard feelings between the two nations had disappeared, emphasising the importance of the transatlantic bound branded as “fundamental particularly in the defence field” and pointing out France's leading role in NATO –France is contributing to the NRF (NATO Response force) and assumed in 2004 the commandment of international troops both in Afghanistan and Kosovo-.

However her diplomatic (if not soothing) language could not mask the numerous issues that are bound to keep the two countries at loggerheads with each others. The Defence Minister suggested that many dissensions still lay ahead of a transatlantic reconciliation and that blazing public rows like the Iraq’s war may still be on the cards concerning China and Iran.


On top of this “discord agenda” lay China. The French Condoleezza Rice advocated for a lifting of the EU's arms embargo on China despite US fears of endangering the military balance in East Asia and sending the wrong signal to China on human rights. “The embargo was made about 15 years ago, and the evolution of China and of its international relations have been very significant since then”.

“We cannot have relationships with China in all these fields — economic, medical, research and so on — and conserve the embargo as it is today,” she added. She also argued that the embargo was only symbolic and thus incoherent with France’s other stances. She was confident that France’s strict export regimes would guaranty an efficient and tight control on arms exportations and prevent most lethal technologies getting into China’s hands.

A French position that is likely to send America into hysterics. Pentagon’s officials and Congressmen such as Duncan Hunter, House armed services committee chairman, have warned of retaliatory actions if the embargo is lifted, which could include legislation blocking military co-operation with European allies.

Another rife issue is Iran’s nuclear ambitions. Asked about Europe’s and America’s rival strategy to put under control Iranian emerging nuclear program, she answered : "I think that the US administration is also confident about our will to stop Iran from having nuclear arms. They think that our methods are not hard enough."

She also wondered on American’s policy toward North Korea “There are also problems in North Korea and we should discuss together what position we are going to adopt toward countries which aspire to nuclear force”

Ultimate cause of friction between the two sides of Atlantic, which was highlighting the difficulty of the two nations to understand each other and to find a common ground, is the formation of EU's military capabilities to ensure the organisation can intervene effectively in future global crises.

Michèle Alliot-Marie recognized that Washington was suspicious of France’s motives even if she assured they were pure and that Washington should not see the European defence as building up against America. “The EU’s defence is also a help to the NATO because we’ll be stronger and Europe will more easily be able to play a role in NATO operations.”

However in the end, few things suggested an unconditional rapprochement with the US. Asked on France’s involvement in Iraq “Today we have better relations on the issue even if we do not share the same opinion”. Hence the French assent to form Iraqi gendarmes and policemen but the steady refusal to send French troops on the Iraqi soil.

And judging by this interview it may take more than honeyed words to mend old and new wounds

Constance Jamet, 617 words