US embassy cable - 05PARIS1925

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 PARIS 001925 
 
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 
PARIS - WEDNESDAY, MARCH 23, 2005 
 
 
(A) SUBJECTS COVERED IN TODAY'S REPORT: 
 
  1.   EU SUMMIT - EU CONSTITUTION REFERENDUM 
2.   VALUE OF THE DOLLAR 
 
(B) SUMMARY OF COVERAGE: 
 
THE FRENCH VOTE TO REJECT THE EU CONSTITUTION, THE DEBATE OVER 
THE BOLKESTEIN DIRECTIVE TO LIBERALIZE SERVICES AND THE 
RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN FRANCE AND THE REST OF EUROPE IN LIGHT OF 
THE EUROPEAN ECONOMIC SUMMIT DOMINATES HEADLINES AND EDITORIAL 
COMMENTARIES TODAY. 
 
"EUROPE SICK OF FRANCE" LEADS LEFT-OF-CENTER LIBERATION, THE 
HEADLINE IN RIGHT-OF-CENTER LE FIGARO: "CHIRAC WANTS BRUSSELS 
TO YIELD" ON THE BOLKESTEIN DIRECTIVE AND LEFT-OF-CENTER LE 
MONDE PUTS FORWARD THAT: "BRUSSELS IS MAKING FRANCE FACE ITS 
RESPONSIBILITIES." 
 
EDITORIALS ANALYZE THE STATEMENT MADE ON THE EVE OF THE EU 
ECONOMIC SUMMIT BY EU COMMISSION PRESIDENT, JOS MANUEL 
BARROSO, WHICH URGED FRENCH LEADERS TO EXPLAIN THE EU 
CONSTITUTION TO VOTERS RATHER THAN TO BLAME BRUSSELS' 
INITIATIVE TO LIBERALIZE SERVICES. LEFT AND RIGHT LEANING 
DAILIES, AS WELL AS THE REGIONAL PRESS DEEM MR. BARROSO'S 
ANNOYANCE TO BE JUSTIFIED. (SEE PART C) 
 
ECONOMIC DAILIES FOCUS ON THE U.S. FEDERAL RESERVE INCREASE IN 
INTEREST RATES: "U.S. MONETARY POLICY TIGHTENED ONCE AGAIN" 
HEADLINES ECONOMIC RIGHT-OF-CENTER LES ECHOS AND CENTRIST 
BUSINESS-ORIENTED LA TRIBUNE: "THE FED TIGHTENS THE SCREWS 
AGAIN." (SEE PART C) 
 
INTERIOR MINISTER DOMINIQUE DE VILLEPIN IS INTERVIEWED IN LEFT- 
OF-CENTER LE MONDE ON TERRORISM. ASKED TO COMMENT ON THE 
LIBERATION OF ALL OF THE FRENCH PRISONERS FROM GUANTANAMO, MR. 
DE VILLEPIN ANSWERED: "WE DO NOT HAVE ANY LESSONS TO GIVE TO 
ANY COUNTRY, BUT I WOULD LIKE TO REITERATE THAT THE PRINCIPLES 
OF DEMOCRACY ARE OUR BEST DEFENSE AGAINST TERRORISM. I AM 
HOSTILE TO ANY EXCEPTIONS THAT ARE MADE OUTSIDE OF THE LAW; 
NOTHING PROVES THAT THEY WILL CONTRIBUTE TO THE FIGHT AGAINST 
TERRORISM." 
 
(C) SUPPORTING TEXT/BLOCK QUOTES: 
 
EU SUMMIT - EU CONSTITUTION REFERENDUM 
 
 "TWO VIEWS" 
THE UNSIGNED EDITORIAL IN LEFT-OF-CENTER LE MONDE (03/23): 
"FRENCH OFFICIALS SEEM TO HAVE FALLEN INTO THE HABIT OF SAYING 
ONE THING IN BRUSSELS AND ANOTHER IN PARIS. IT IS THIS 
ATTITUDE THAT IRRITATES MR. BARROSO AND IT IS UNDERSTANDABLE. 
ON THE OTHER HAND THE EU COMMISSION'S PHLEGMATIC ATTITUDE 
TOWARDS THE MALAISE THAT IS GROWING IN FRANCE WITH REGARD TO 
THE CONSTITUTION ANNOYS PARIS. NO MATTER WHAT ANYONE SAYS 
TODAY, THE BOLKESTEIN DIRECTIVE IS HENCEFORTH LIKED TO THE 
CONSTITUTION REFERENDUM. JACQUES CHIRAC HAS, FOR TOO LONG, 
TRIED TO HOLD TWO POINTS OF VIEW AT ONCE, AND NOW HE AND HIS 
GOVERNMENT ARE IN AN ALMOST INSURMOUNTABLE IMPASSE." 
 
"EUROPE AND THE TUG-OF-WAR" 
PIERRE ROUSSELIN IN RIGHT-OF-CENTER LE FIGARO (03/23): "JOSE 
MANUEL BARROSO WAS RIGHT TO SAY THAT EUROPEAN DECISIONS SHOULD 
NOT BE MADE ACCORDING TO JUST ONE COUNTRY AND THAT EUROPE 
CANNOT ABANDON ITS ECONOMIC PROGRAM JUST BECAUSE THERE IS A 
REFERENDUM IN FRANCE." 
 
VALUE OF THE DOLLAR 
 
"WHO'S FAULT?" 
FRANCOIS-XAVIER PIETRI IN CENTRIST BUSINESS-ORIENTED LA 
TRIBUNE (03/23): "AND THIS TIME MAKES SEVEN! THE INTEREST 
RATES HAVE BEEN RAISED SEVEN TIMES IN A ROW BY THE AMERICAN 
FEDERAL RESERVE. THE LEAST WE CAN SAY IS THAT ALAN GREENSPAN 
CARRIES THINGS THROUGH AND THE CONTROL OF THE AMERICAN 
CURRENCY REMAINS COMPLETE, IN TERMS OF THE ACTUAL RATES, BUT 
ALSO IN TERMS OF COMMUNICATION. THE FED HAS ALSO STRESSED THE 
SOLID RATE OF AMERICAN GROWTH WHICH IS GOOD NEW FOR GROWTH 
WORLDWIDE. WHAT IS GOING ON IN THE U.S. HAD BEEN PREDICTED BUT 
NOW ALL EYES ARE ON EUROPE AND THE ECB. IN EUROPE, WE WOULD DO 
WELL TO PROMOTE HOUSEHOLD CONSUMPTION RATHER THAN SLOW IT 
DOWN." LEACH