US embassy cable - 05PARIS3129

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 PARIS 003129 
 
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; USVIENNA FOR USDEL OSCE. 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: OPRC, KMDR, FR 
SUBJECT: MEDIA REACTION REPORT - WWII COMMEMORATION - 
PRESIDENT BUSH TO RUSSIA - GEORGIA 
PARIS - TUESDAY, MAY 10, 2005 
 
(A) SUBJECTS COVERED IN TODAY'S REPORT: 
 
WWII COMMEMORATION - PRESIDENT BUSH TO RUSSIA - GEORGIA 
 
B) SUMMARY OF COVERAGE: 
 
TODAY'S MEDIA IS DOMINATED BY DOMESTIC NEWS. MOST DAILIES LEAD 
WITH A STORY DETAILING WHY THE CONTEMPORARY ART COLLECTION 
OWNED BY BUSINESSMAN FRANCOIS PINAULT WILL NOT BE HOUSED 
OUTSIDE OF PARIS BUT WILL INSTEAD GO TO VENICE. THE EU 
REFERENDUM CONTINUES TO DRAW MEDIA ATTENTION. ONE POLL, 
CONDUCTED FOR LE FIGARO AND EUROPE 1 RADIO, SHOWS A 50-50 
DIVISION AMONG VOTERS. LE PARISIEN'S POLL SHOWS 51% OF VOTERS 
INTEND TO VOTE YES AND 49% FOR THE NO. 
 
THE EXCEPTIONS ARE LE MONDE WHICH HEADLINES "THE U.S. AND 
EUROPE FACE TO FACE WITH PUTIN'S CHALLENGE" AND CATHOLIC LA 
CROIX, WHICH LEADS WITH: "SOVIET NOSTALGIA, DIPLOMATIC 
TENSION." OTHER REPORTS ON THE PRESENCE OF WORLD DIGNITARIES 
IN MOSCOW INCLUDE A COMMENTARY IN LE FIGARO ABOUT PRESIDENT 
CHIRAC WHO "REFUSED CONTROVERSY" WHILE IN MOSCOW AND DID NOT 
"ECHO THE AMERICAN CASTIGATIONS." LE PARISIEN ALSO COMMENTS ON 
PRESIDENT CHIRAC'S SPEECH: "WHILE IN MOSCOW PRESIDENT CHIRAC 
EMBARKED ON THE CAMPAIGN FOR THE `YES,' AND INSISTED THAT 
`WITH THE EUROPEAN TREATY EUROPE WILL REAFFIRM ITS POLITICAL 
INFLUENCE.' EUROPE WILL BE A `MORE AMBITIOUS AND MORE 
PEACEFUL' EUROPE AS WELL AS `A FRIEND TO RUSSIA THE GREAT.'" 
LE MONDE'S EDITORIAL TITLED "INDIVISIBLE LIBERTY" COMMENDS THE 
U.S. FOR "ITS SUPPORT TO AWAKENING DEMOCRACIES" AND REGRETS 
THAT THE EU, IN ITS RELATIONS WITH MOSCOW, "DOES NOT SPEAK IN 
THE SAME FIRM LANGUAGE IN FAVOR OF DEMOCRACY." IN REGIONAL 
OUEST FRANCE DOMINIQUE MOISI PENS AN EDITORIAL IN WHICH HE 
APPLAUDS PRESIDENT BUSH FOR DEFENDING FREEDOM AND DEMOCRACY. 
(SEE PART C) 
 
THE ECONOMIC PRESS, INCLUDING LE FIGARO ECONOMIQUE REPORTS ON 
HOW "PARIS AND BERLIN ARE TRYING TO AVOID A MAJOR CRISIS AT 
EADS," THE PARENT COMPANY OF AIRBUS. THE REFUSAL OF NOEL 
FORGEARD TO RESIGN AS HEAD OF AIRBUS COULD CREATE A CRISIS. AN 
UNNAMED SOURCE SAYS AN EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE IS WORKING TO GET 
FORGEARD TO "TEMPORARILY" BE BOTH THE PRESIDENT OF EADS AND 
AIRBUS. 
 
(C) SUPPORTING TEXT/BLOCK QUOTES: 
WWII COMMEMORATION - PRESIDENT BUSH TO RUSSIA - GEORGIA 
 
"BETWEEN EMOTION AND STIFFNESS" 
DOMINIQUE MOISI IN REGIONAL OUEST FRANCE (05/10): "A MIXTURE 
OF EMOTION AND STIFFNESS CHARACTERIZED YESTERDAY'S CEREMONIES 
IN MOSCOW. IT WAS LEGITIMATE FOR WORLD LEADERS TO BE PRESENT 
IN MOSCOW. RUSSIAN VETERANS DESERVED THE TRIBUTE, AS WELL AS 
OUR ADMIRATION AND OUR GRATITUDE. BUT CELEBRATING THE PAST 
MUST NOT HIDE THE REALITIES OF THE PRESENT OR OUR CONCERNS FOR 
THE FUTURE. WHILE PART OF EUROPE, FOLLOWING FRANCE AND 
GERMANY, SEEMS READY TO ACCEPT PUTIN'S GAME AND THE RE-WRITING 
OF HISTORY, IT IS NOT THE CASE FOR PRESIDENT BUSH'S AMERICA. 
BY STARTING HIS VISIT TO THE FORMER SOVIET UNION WITH RIGA AND 
ENDING IT WITH TBILISI, PRESIDENT BUSH'S INTENTION WAS TO SEND 
A CLEAR MESSAGE TO THE WORLD IN GENERAL AND PUTIN IN 
PARTICULAR. LIBERTY AND DEMOCRACY ARE ON THE MARCH. TODAY, IN 
TBILISI, OVER ONE HUNDRED THOUSAND PEOPLE WILL CELEBRATE 
PRESIDENT BUSH'S VISIT, SEEING IT AS A SIGN OF THEIR 
LIBERATION AND THEIR DEFIANCE OF MOSCOW. EUROPE NEEDS TO HEAR 
THEIR MESSAGE, IN THE INTEREST OF RUSSIA AND THE RUSSIANS." 
 
"INDIVISIBLE LIBERTY" 
LEFT-OF-CENTER LE MONDE'S EDITORIAL (05/10): "COMMEMORATIONS 
ARE MEANT TO CELEBRATE HISTORY, THEY ARE NOT MEANT FOR SOUL 
SEARCHING. THIS WOULD HAVE BEEN THE CASE IN MOSCOW EXCEPT FOR 
THE FACT THAT SEVERAL LEADERS FROM BALTIC COUNTRIES DECIDED TO 
BREAK WITH THE POLITICALLY CORRECT. PRESIDENT BUSH PROVED IN 
HIS SPEECH IN RIGA THAT RECOGNIZING ONE'S ERRORS COULD NOT BE 
A ONE-WAY STREET. HAVING ACKNOWLEDGED THAT RACIAL SEGREGATION 
WAS A SHAMEFUL EPISODE OF U.S. HISTORY, HE ALSO REGRETTED 
ROOSEVELT'S ACCEPTANCE OF YALTA'S DIVISION OF EUROPE. AS WELL 
AS THE FACT THAT AMERICANS SACRIFICED THE RIGHT TO FREEDOM FOR 
THE WEAKEST IN THE NAME OF INTERNATIONAL STABILITY, OR MORE 
PRECISELY FOR AN ILLUSION OF STABILITY. HIS VISIT TO GEORGIA, 
WHERE THE AMERICANS HAVE BEEN ACTIVE IN THE ELECTION OF 
SAAKASHVILI, IS PART OF THIS NEW POLICY. THE U.S., UNDER THE 
LEADERSHIP OF PRESIDENT BUSH, IS NOT A NATION PRONE TO THE 
STATUS QUO BUT AN ADVOCATE OF DEMOCRATIC CHANGE. THE IRAQI 
EXPERIENCE DEMONSTRATES THAT THIS IS ALSO A RISKY POLICY. 
NEVERTHELESS, WE REGRET THAT THE EU, IN ITS RELATIONS WITH 
MOSCOW, DOES NOT SPEAK IN THE SAME FIRM LANGUAGE IN FAVOR OF 
DEMOCRACY."  WOLFF