US embassy cable - 05PARIS1094

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 PARIS 001094 
 
SIPDIS 
 
 
DEPT FOR INR/R/MR; IIP/RW; IIP/RNY (FRANK); BBG/VOA; IIP/WEU; 
AF/PA; EUR/WE (DEBORAH MENNUTI)/P/SP; D/C (MCCOO); EUR/PA 
(BERBENA); INR/P; INR/EUC; PM; OSC ISA FOR ILN; NEA; WHITE 
HOUSE FOR NSC/WEUROPE; DOC FOR ITA/EUR/FR AND PASS USTR/PA 
(ANN LUZZATO); 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 - PRESIDENT BUSH IN EUROPE 
PARIS - TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 22, 2005 
 
(A) SUBJECTS COVERED IN TODAY'S REPORT: 
 
PRESIDENT BUSH IN EUROPE 
 
(B) SUMMARY OF COVERAGE: 
 
WITH THE PRESIDENT'S DAY WEEKEND, TODAY'S MEDIA REACTION 
REPORT WILL RECAP THE MONDAY AND TUESDAY PRESS. 
 
THREE OF MONDAY'S DAILIES DEVOTE THEIR FRONT-PAGES TO 
PRESIDENT BUSH'S VISIT TO EUROPE. ECONOMIC RIGHT-OF-CENTER LES 
ECHOS LEADS: "EUROPEAN-AMERICAN RELATIONS: BUSH LOOKING FOR A 
NEW BOOST," WHILE CATHOLIC LA CROIX PUTS FORWARD THAT "BUSH IS 
IN EUROPE TO CONVINCE" AND COMMUNIST L'HUMANITE CALLS THE 
VISIT: "BUSH'S EUROPEAN EXPEDITION." 
 
OTHER NEWSPAPERS ANNOUNCE: "BUSH - CHIRAC: THE 
RECONCILIATION," (RIGHT-OF-CENTER POPULAR DAILIES LE PARISIEN 
AND FRANCE SOIR) "EUROPE: BUSH MAKES PEACE" (LEFT-OF-CENTER 
LIBERATION) AND "CHIRAC - BUSH: MEET AGAIN WITHOUT 
BITTERNESS." (RIGHT-OF-CENTER LE JOURNAL DU DIMANCHE) 
 
COMMENTATORS AGREE THAT THE PRESIDENT'S TRIP TO EUROPE IS A 
"MARKED SIGN OF HIS RECENT DESIRE TO RE-ESTABLISH CLOSE 
CONSULTATIONS BETWEEN BOTH SIDES OF THE ATLANTIC." (CATHOLIC 
LA CROIX) (SEE PART C) 
 
TWO OP-EDS IN THE MONDAY EDITION OF RIGHT-OF-CENTER LE FIGARO 
PRESENT ANALYSES OF THE TRANS-ATLANTIC RELATIONSHIP. ANDRE 
KASPI, PROFESSOR AT THE SORBONNE, SEES THE "COOPERATION" 
BETWEEN THE TWO COUNTRIES ON "AFGHANISTAN, HAITI, EX- 
YUGOSLAVIA, IVORY COAST, THE WAR ON TERRORISM OR BUSINESS AND 
TRADE EXCHANGES AS MORE THAN SATISFACTORY." HE ADDS THAT THIS 
IS NOT SO MUCH A SIGN OF "WARMING RELATIONS" AS IT A SIGN OF 
"PRAGMATISM." JAVIER SOLANA, EU HIGH REPRESENTATIVE FOR 
FOREIGN POLICY AND SECURITY, FOR HIS PART SAYS THAT "EUROPE 
SHOULD SEIZE THIS OPPORTUNITY AND CONVINCE THE REMAINING 
SKEPTICS THAT A STRONG AND UNIFIED EUROPE IS THE BEST POSSIBLE 
GLOBAL PARTNER FOR THE U.S." 
 
THE ROLE OF NATO IN THE WORLD, WHICH COMMENTATORS SAY SHOULD 
HAVE BEEN ONE OF THE MAIN SUBJECTS OF DISCUSSION BETWEEN THE 
FRENCH AND AMERICAN PRESIDENTS IN BRUSSELS, IS ANALYZED IN 
MONDAY AND TUESDAY'S PRESS. GERARD DUPUY IN LEFT-OF-CENTER 
LIBERATION PUTS FORWARD THAT "NATO TODAY SEEMS ABOUT AS USEFUL 
AS A BICYCLE TO A FISH. BUT THAT IT IS A TOPIC OF DISCUSSION 
TO BE AVOIDED IN ORDER TO AGREE FOR THE SAKE OF AGREEING." THE 
TUESDAY EDITION OF COMMUNIST L'HUMANITE CALLS NATO "THE 
AMERICAN TROJAN HORSE." "WITH THE REFORM OF THE ATLANTIC 
ALLIANCE, THE BUSH ADMINISTRATION IS TRYING TO CUSTOM-BUILD AN 
INSTRUMENT THAT WILL SERVE ITS OWN PURPOSES." 
 
THE SPANISH "YES" TO THE EUROPEAN CONSTITUTION IS THE FOCUS OF 
A NUMBER OF TUESDAY'S FRONT PAGES AND SOME NEWSPAPERS ANALYZE 
PRESIDENT BUSH'S TRIP TO EUROPE IN LIGHT OF THE VOTE. CATHOLIC 
LA CROIX'S BRUNO FRAPPAT LAMENTS "AT A TIME WHEN FROM UKRAINE 
TO LEBANON, FROM THE PALESTINIAN TERRITORY TO IRAQ. THE RIGHT 
TO VOTE FREELY APPEARS AS A BRAND-NEW RIGHT TO BE CHERISHED. 
THREE FIFTHS OF THE SPANISH POPULATION DID NOT TAKE PART IN 
THE VOTE FOR THE RATIFICATION OF EUROPE'S CONSTITUTION. AT A 
TIME WHEN GEORGE W. BUSH IS IN EUROPE TO HIGHLIGHT HIS FAITH 
IN DEMOCRACY. IT IS VEXING FOR THE ENTIRE EUROPEAN CONTINENT 
THAT THE EU CANNOT MOBILIZE MORE PEOPLE." 
 
TUESDAY'S RIGHT-OF-CENTER LE FIGARO LEADS: "BUSH AND CHIRAC: 
THE LIMITATIONS OF A RECONCILIATION." CORRESPONDENT PHILIPPE 
GELIE REMARKS THAT "GEORGE W. BUSH MAY KNOW HOW TO GET HIMSELF 
ELECTED AT HOME BUT HAS TROUBLE SELLING HIMSELF ABROAD. 
HOWEVER, HE IS AWARE OF THIS HANDICAP AND HAS MADE A LAUDABLE 
EFFORT TO [RECONCILE WITH] EUROPE." 
THE OPINION PAGE IN THIS EDITION OF LE FIGARO FOCUSES ON 
DEFUSING TENSIONS IN THE TRANS-ATLANTIC RELATIONSHIP WITH TWO 
OP-EDS. ONE SIGNED BY SECRETARY RUMSFELD, ENTITLED "U.S. - 
EUROPE: A VITAL AND STABLE ALLIANCE." THE OTHER BY SOPHIE 
MEUNIER, RESEARCHER ON INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS AT PRINCETON 
UNIVERSITY, UNDER THE TITLE: "DISARMING ANTI-AMERICANISM." 
TUESDAY'S LEFT-OF-CENTER LE MONDE CARRIES TWO FULL-PAGES ON 
THE PRESIDENT'S VISIT. ONE PAGE IS AN INTERVIEW OF JOSEPH 
BIDEN BY LE MONDE'S NEW YORK CORRESPONDENT CORINE LESNES, THE 
OTHER AN ANALYSIS OF THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE TWO 
PRESIDENTS ENTITLED: "BUSH AND CHIRAC: FORCED SMILES" CO- 
SIGNED BY CORINE LESNES AND CLAIRE TREAN. 
 
LEFT-OF-CENTER LIBERATION ON TUESDAY FOCUSES ON THE 
PRESIDENT'S VISIT TO EUROPE IN LIGHT OF THE ISSUE OF SYRIA AND 
LEBANON UNDER THE SUBTITLE: "BUSH AND CHIRAC: LONG LIVE A FREE 
LEBANON." PATRICK SABATIER IN HIS EDITORIAL NOTES THAT 
"LEBANON HAS INVITED ITSELF TO DINNER WITH BUSH AND CHIRAC. 
AND THE CRISIS WITH SYRIA WAS ONE OF THE `APPETIZERS' OF THIS 
`TETE-A-TETE." 
 
 
(C) SUPPORTING TEXT/BLOCK QUOTES: 
 
PRESIDENT BUSH IN EUROPE 
 
"PROGRESS" 
THE EDITORIAL BY FRANCOIS ERNENWEIN IN CATHOLIC LA CROIX 
(02/21): "THIS TRIP, THE PRESIDENT'S FIRST SINCE HIS RE- 
ELECTION, HAS NOT EVEN STARTED YET AND IS ALREADY APPEARING TO 
BEAR FRUIT. BETWEEN THE NEW WORLD AND THE OLD CONTINENT, SKIES 
ARE BLUE AGAIN. CONDOLEEZZA RICE'S CONCILIATORY TONE IN PARIS 
TWO WEEKS AGO HAD ESTABLISHED THE THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK FOR 
RECONCILIATION. THE PRESIDENT'S TRIP THIS WEEK WILL PUT IT 
INTO PRACTICE." 
 
"EUROPE ACCORDING TO GEORGE W. BUSH" 
PATRICK APEL-MULLER IN COMMUNIST L'HUMANITE (02/21): "WE WILL 
BE WATCHING JACQUES CHIRAC'S ATTITUDE CLOSELY DURING THIS 
VISIT WHICH IS CLEARLY GEORGE BUSH'S ATTEMPT TO OBTAIN 
DECLARATIONS OF VASSALAGE CAMOUFLAGED BEHIND PURELY DECORATIVE 
REFLECTIONS ON POVERTY, DISEASE AND THE PROGRESS OF FREEDOM." 
 
"BUSH-CHIRAC: TOWARDS A CHANGE IN CLIMATE" 
THE ANALYSIS BY JACQUES HUBERT-RODIER IN ECONOMIC RIGHT-OF- 
CENTER LES ECHOS (02/21): "FIRST THERE WAS THE ICE AGE IN 2003 
AT THE UN OVER IRAQ. THEN THERE WAS A PERIOD OF WARMING IN 
2004 IN NORMANDY FOR THE 60TH ANNIVERSARY. TODAY, IN BRUSSELS 
THE ERA OF RECONCILIATION BETWEEN GEORGE W. BUSH AND JACQUES 
CHIRAC SHOULD BEGIN. FRANCE HAS DONE EVERYTHING IT COULD TO 
SHOW THAT IT IS RESPONSIVE TO THE AMERICAN OVERTURES, EVEN 
REGARDING IRAQ. HOWEVER THERE IS NO REASON TO EXAGGERATE THIS 
GOOD `ENTENTE.' THE U.S. HAS NOT SUDDENLY LEFT THE PLANET MARS 
TO EMBRACE THE PLANET VENUS. TO CARICATURE ROBERT KAGAN'S 
EXPRESSION. BUT MARS PROVED THE LIMITATIONS OF THE USE OF 
FORCE IN IRAQ AND TODAY NEEDS VENUS TO RESTORE ITS IMAGE WHICH 
HAS HIT BOTTOM IN INTERNATIONAL PUBLIC OPINION. THE MEETING IN 
BRUSSELS WILL AT LEAST GIVE THE WORLD THE IMPRESSION THAT BUSH 
AND CHIRAC CAN WORK TOGETHER WHICH IS A NON-NEGLIGIBLE SIGN." 
 
"BUSH DISCOVERS EUROPE" 
PIERRE ROUSSELIN IN RIGHT-OF-CENTER LE FIGARO (02/22): "WHEN 
WE LISTEN TO GEORGE BUSH'S FINE WORDS WE ALMOST WONDER WHAT 
WAS THE `TEMPORARY DEBATE' THAT [THREATENED OUR RELATIONSHIP]. 
BUT WE ALSO WONDER IF GEORGE BUSH IS NOT GOING A BIT 
OVERBOARD, LIKE A CHILD WHO HAS JUST REALIZED THAT HE HAS 
BROKEN HIS FAVORITE TOY. SPEECHES, DINNERS, TOASTS, PRESS 
CONFERENCES. THE WHITE HOUSE HAS DECIDED THAT NO EFFORT WILL 
BE SPARED TO SHOW THAT GEORGE BUSH IS IN HARMONY WITH THE 
LIKES OF JACQUES CHIRAC OR GERHARD SCHRODER WHO HAD ONCE STOOD 
IN HIS WAY. BUSH HAS DISCOVERED THAT EUROPE EXISTS. IT TOOK 
HIM FOUR YEARS TO DO SO BUT THE BLAME IS, IN PART, ON EUROPE 
ITSELF WHICH ALSO TOOK FOUR YEARS TO ACCEPT THE FACT THAT BUSH 
COULD BE ELECTED BY AMERICA. FOLLOWING HIS RE-ELECTION, GEORGE 
BUSH RECOGNIZED THAT IT WAS URGENT TO RE-ESTABLISH A HEALTHY 
TRANS-ATLANTIC RELATIONSHIP. BUT DOES HE REALLY NEED EUROPE? 
DESPITE WHAT HE HAS BEEN SAYING REPEATEDLY, IT IS NOT SO 
CERTAIN." 
 
"ENDS AND MEANS" 
PATRICK SABATIER IN LEFT-OF-CENTER LIBERATION (02/22): "THE 
DINNER WAS SYMBOLIC OF THE DESIRE OF THE TWO ALLIES TO MEND 
THE RELATIONSHIP THAT WAS DAMAGED BY THEIR DISAGREEMENT OVER 
THE INTERVENTION IN IRAQ. BUT THE REAL ISSUE WAS TO GAUGE IF 
THERE HAS BEEN ANY CHANGE IN U.S. FOREIGN POLICY. THE FRENCH 
AND THE AMERICANS SHARE THE SAME WILL TO SEE IRAN AND SYRIA 
STOP DESTABILIZING THE REGION BY SUPPORTING TERRORISTS. BUT TO 
BRING THIS ABOUT BUSH, THOUGH HE HAS NOT SAID IT YET, IS READY 
TO USE THE BIG MILITARY STICK. WHEREAS FRANCE, AND ITS 
EUROPEAN PARTNERS, PREFER TO OFFER THE CARROT OF DIPLOMACY. 
BUSH WILL HAVE TO BE AS PREPARED TO LISTEN TO HIS ALLIES ON 
THE MEANS AS HIS ALLIES WILL HAVE TO PROVE THEIR DETERMINATION 
TO BRING ABOUT THE END." 
 
"THE THREAD AND THE WEB" 
FRANCOISE CROUIGNEAU IN ECONOMIC RIGHT-OF-CENTER LES ECHOS 
(02/22): "IN A WEARY EUROPE, THE RATE OF ABSTENTION IN SPAIN 
FOR THE VOTE TO RATIFY THE EU CONSTITUTION UNDERSCORES THE 
DOUBTS THAT REMAIN AS TO EUROPE'S CAPACITY TO DEFINE A CLEAR 
DESTINY. AND DISCUSSIONS CONTINUE ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE 
ATLANTIC TO DETERMINE THE RELIABILITY OF THE EUROPEAN ALLY. WE 
HAVE TWO VISIONS OF SOCIETY BASED ON COMMON VALUES THAT EVOLVE 
IN DIFFERENT WAYS. EUROPEANS AND AMERICANS HAVE COMMON 
OBJECTIVES BUT THE METHODS SIGNIFICANTLY DIVERGE AND THIS IS 
WHERE MISUNDERSTANDINGS ARISE. HISTORY HAS SHOWN THAT WHEN THE 
TWO ALLIES SHOOT IN THE SAME DIRECTION NOTHING CAN STAND IN 
THEIR WAY." LEACH