US embassy cable - 05PARIS1893

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 PARIS 001893 
 
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 
 
(A) SUBJECTS COVERED IN TODAY'S REPORT: 
 
UN REFORM 
 
(B) SUMMARY OF COVERAGE: 
 
AS THE EU ECONOMIC SUMMIT KICKS OFF IN BRUSSELS, THE THREAT OF 
A "NO" VOTE FOR THE REFERENDUM ON THE EU CONSTITUTION 
DOMINATES TUESDAY'S HEADLINES. ECONOMIC CENTRIST LA TRIBUNE 
LEADS: "THE FRENCH `NO' INVITES ITSELF TO THE EUROPEAN 
SUMMIT." 
 
LEFT-OF-CENTER LIBERATION GIVES THE DETAILS OF "CHIRAC'S PLAN" 
TO SWAY VOTERS AND ADDS THAT CHIRAC IS "BETTING THE FARM ON 
THE REFERENDUM. IT WILL DECIDE HIS FATE AS THE HEAD OF STATE. 
IF THE YES VOTE TAKES IT, HE CAN CONTINUE TO DREAM OF A THIRD 
TERM IN OFFICE, IF THE NO TAKES IT, HE WILL GO DOWN IN HISTORY 
AS THE PRESIDENT WHO MADE EUROPE IMPLODE." POPULAR RIGHT-OF- 
CENTER LE PARISIEN ASKS "WHAT IF FRANCE VOTES NO?" AND PUTS 
FORWARD THE VARIOUS HYPOTHESES ON THE EFFECT THAT THIS WOULD 
HAVE ON THE FUTURE OF THE EUROPEAN CONSTITUTION IN GENERAL AND 
ON THE FUTURE OF PRESIDENT CHIRAC AND PRIME MINISTER RAFFARIN 
IN PARTICULAR. 
 
COMMENTATORS ARGUE THAT THE BOLKESTEIN DIRECTIVE, OUTSOURCING, 
THE REAL ESTATE SCANDAL SURROUNDING THE FORMER FINANCE 
MINISTER AND THE STAGNATION OF FRENCH BUYING POWER HAVE LED TO 
A SORT OF COLLECTIVE "NO" ON THE PART OF THE POPULATION. 
(REGIONAL OUEST FRANCE) 
 
KOFI ANNAN'S PLAN FOR UN REFORM IS ONE OF THE MAJOR 
INTERNATIONAL STORIES TODAY. LEFT-OF-CENTER LIBERATION CALLS 
THE PLAN "THE MOST AMBITIOUS THAT THE INTERNATIONAL 
ORGANIZATION HAS SEEN SINCE ITS CREATION." ECONOMIC RIGHT-OF- 
CENTER LES ECHOS CARRIES AN OP-ED BY KOFI ANNAN ENTITLED: "UN 
- A NECESSARY REFORM FOR MORE FREEDOM." (SEE PART C) 
 
LIBERATION CARRIES A FULL-PAGE ANALYSIS PENNED BY THE DAILY'S 
CORRESPONDENTS IN BRUSSELS ON THE NOMINATION OF PAUL WOLFOWITZ 
TO HEAD THE WORLD BANK. THE TONE OF THE PIECE ENTITLED: "WHY 
EUROPE IS SMILING AT WOLFOWITZ" IS A RADICAL CHANGE FROM 
COMMENTARIES IN YESTERDAY'S PRESS AND CHRISTIAN LOSSON AND 
JEAN QUATREMER WRITE: "AFTER ALL, PARIS IS COUNTING ON THE 
U.S. TO SUPPORT PASCAL LAMY'S NOMINATION AS DIRECTOR GENERAL 
OF THE WTO." 
 
IN THE REGIONAL PRESS AND ELECTRONIC MEDIA, TERRY SCHIAVO'S 
FATE CONTINUES TO PROMPT COMMENTARIES, MOST OF WHICH AGREE 
THAT THE CASE IS BEING USED FOR POLITICAL PURPOSES, GIVING THE 
PRESIDENT A NEW OPPORTUNITY TO SHOW HIS ATTACHMENT TO THE 
CHRISTIAN RIGHT. "OTHERWISE, WHY WOULD GEORGE BUSH HAVE 
RUSHED. TO SIGN A LAW THAT WAS THROWN TOGETHER OVERNIGHT AND 
SIGNED IN THREE HOURS TIME BY THE MAJORITY OF THE HOUSE 
REPUBLICANS?" (REGIONAL DAILY LE REPUBLIQUE DES PYRENEES) THE 
EDITORIAL IN REGIONAL LE PROGRES IS HIGHLY CRITICAL, PUTTING 
FORWARD THAT IT IS HEARTENING TO SEE A PRESIDENT WHO "UPHOLDS 
THE DEATH PENALTY AND PROMOTES THE RIGHT TO OWN WEAPONS, WHO 
IS PERSONALLY RESPONSIBLE FOR TWO INTERNATIONAL WARS THAT 
CAUSED THE DEATH OF THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE, SUDDENLY SHOW SUCH A 
FONDNESS FOR LIFE." 
 
 (C) SUPPORTING TEXT/BLOCK QUOTES: 
 
UN REFORM 
 
"TIME TO ACT" 
PATRICK SABATIER IN LEFT-OF-CENTER LIBERATION (03/22): "AS 
WITH EUROPE, THE BLATANT FAILURES AND SHORTFALLS OF THE UN ARE 
NOT DUE ONLY TO THE WEIGHTINESS OF THE INSTITUTION, NOR THE 
INCOMPETENCE OF ITS OFFICIALS. ITS SHORTCOMINGS ARE REAL. BUT 
THE REASONS HAVE MORE TO DO WITH THE POLITICAL RESOLVE OF ITS 
MEMBER STATES, ESPECIALLY THOSE WITH THE MOST POWER AND MONEY, 
THE ONES THAT PAY THE BILLS. THIS IS WHY, ALAS, WE HAVE CAUSE 
TO CAST DOUBTS ON THE REALIZATION OF THE REFORMS THAT WERE 
PROPOSED YESTERDAY. THE UN MAY WELL BE THE WORST OF THE 
INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS, BUT LACKING AN ALTERNATIVE, IT IS 
PREFERABLE TO THE LAW OF THE JUNGLE, OR OF THE STRONGEST." 
 
"KOFI ANNAN: MAN OF THE DAY" 
COMMUNIST L'HUMANITE (03/22): "KOFI ANNAN'S REFORM PROPOSAL 
FOR THE UN, WHILE STRESSING THE CENTRAL ROLE THAT THE 
ORGANIZATION HAS TO PLAY IN WORLD GOVERNANCE DOES NOT 
STRENGTHEN THE ROLE OF THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY WHICH REMAINS THE 
MOST DEMOCRATIC PART OF THE INSTITUTION. ANOTHER THORNY 
SUBJECT IS THE PROPOSAL TO LEGALIZE PREEMPTIVE WAR BY GIVING 
THE UNSC TO POWER TO HAVE RECOURSE TO THE USE FORCE, INCLUDING 
PREEMPTIVELY. THIS MAJOR CONCESSION TO THE U.S. CASTS A 
QUESTIONABLE LIGHT ON THE "MULTILATERAL' NATURE OF THE 
REFORM." LEACH