France now views EU its greatest threat to its way of life and standing on the world.

www.iht.com...

The latest flash point came when France broke with the rest of the Union to demand continued protection for Europe's farmers from cheaper producers elsewhere. It was one of several clashes between Paris and Brussels this year as France resisted efforts to liberalize Europe's services sector, sought to weaken rules on national finances, tried to protect major companies from foreign takeovers and pushed for new quotas on Chinese textiles.

The growing friction is explained by French attempts to hold back the pace of economic liberalization on the Continent in the face of intensifying global competition. This comes as the French economy is weak and the government is playing to the public's protectionist mood with presidential elections coming in less than two years.

Amid a resurgence of national self-interest, the French government has come to view the European Union, and the projects that the European Commission is trying to pursue, as a threat to its old ways of life and to its standing in the world, which are coming under intense pressure from globalization.

Traditionally, the Union was an instrument that France used to project power beyond its borders. But the swelling of the bloc to 25 members from 15 in May 2004 has meant a loss of influence for France in Brussels. The surprising result is that, suddenly, the country that helped invent European integration over the past 50 years has become its biggest opponent.

tsk tsk, so much for France's ambition to use the EU to counter the U.S. for dominance. poor France, created something that is now coming back to haunt her.

Only cause they want to control it..

The day the French don't complain will be the day i'll become Head of State in the UK.

France now views EU its greatest threat to its way of life and standing on the world.

If they really wanted to see who their greatest threat was, they would find a mirror...

Originally posted by infinite
Only cause they want to control it..

The day the French don't complain will be the day i'll become Head of State in the UK.

Bah, you know they will complain about that too.
but your right.. they pushed to build this perfect civil model for europe when they were sure that they would reap the spoils of it, but now that they find out that being part of the group means sharing with the group... they dont like it so much.. maybe thats why they make secret deals with countries under sanctions, so they dont have to share

France is upset because Europe is shfting over to the Anglo Saxon social economic model. In other words the UK economy is currently the best in Western Europe and the French are very upset.

France really has to get over the fact that they have no standing in the world following repeated kickings over the 20th century. No more empire, no more respect, just garlic and wine.

Its easier to blame someone else than acknowledge you have problems.