US embassy cable - 05PARIS3167

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 PARIS 003167 
 
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 - BUSH TO GEORGIA 
GEO-STRATEGY: CHINA AND RUSSIA 
PARIS - WEDNESDAY, MAY 11, 2005 
 
 
(A) SUBJECTS COVERED IN TODAY'S REPORT: 
 
BUSH TO GEORGIA 
GEO-STRATEGY: CHINA AND RUSSIA 
 
B) SUMMARY OF COVERAGE: 
 
TODAY'S FRONT PAGES COVER A MYRIAD OF TOPICS, FOR THE MOST 
PART RELATED TO DOMESTIC AND EUROPEAN ISSUES. LE FIGARO 
DEVOTES ITS LEAD TO INTERIOR MINISTER DE VILLEPIN'S PLAN TO 
REDUCE ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION, WHICH HE WILL PRESENT AT PRESIDENT 
CHIRAC'S CABINET MEETING TOMORROW. THE INTRODUCTORY ARTICLE 
SAYS THIS IS AN ATTEMPT TO REASSURE THE FRENCH IN ADVANCE OF 
THE MAY 29 REFERENDUM ON A SUBJECT THAT IS OF CONCERN. "IN THE 
FACE OF ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION, THE RULE SHOULD BE FIRMNESS," HE 
SAYS IN AN INSIDE INTERVIEW. LEFT-OF-CENTER LIBERATION DEVOTES 
ITS LEAD STORY TO THE SOCIAL ASPECTS OF THE EUROPEAN 
CONSTITUTION AND EU LEGISLATION ON WORKING HOURS. CATHOLIC LA 
CROIX LEADS ON THE EU REFERENDUM, AND FOCUSES ON OPT-OUT 
CLAUSES ALLOWING NATIONS TO DISREGARD THE LIMITATIONS SET BY 
THE 48-HOUR WORKWEEK, IN CONNECTION WITH THE DEBATE AT THE 
EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT. ECONOMIC LES ECHOS INTERVIEWS NICHOLAS 
JABKO, OF SCIENCES-PO, WHO REFUTES THE `NO' CAMPS' CLAIMS THAT 
THE CONSTITUTION PUTS EU DEFENSE ENTIRELY IN THE HANDS OF 
NATO. THE COMMON SECURITY CLAUSE "RESPECTS THE COMMITMENTS OF 
MEMBER STATES TO NATO."  IN A SEPARATE REPORT LES ECHOS NOTES 
THAT ECONOMISTS DO NOT CONSIDER A `NO' VOTE TO THE REFERENDUM 
TO BE A THREAT TO FRANCE'S ECONOMY. 
POPULAR RIGHT-OF-CENTER FRANCE SOIR DEVOTES ITS LEAD AND FOUR 
PAGES TO THE BLACK COMMUNITY IN FRANCE AND ASKS: "IS THERE A 
NEW BLACK POWER IN FRANCE?" THE CONCLUSION IS THAT FRANCE'S 
BLACK COMMUNITY IS TOO DIVERSE AND DOES NOT SPEAK AS ONE 
POLITICALLY. 
 
TODAY'S MAJOR INTERNATIONAL STORY AS REPORTED IN AN INSIDE 
ARTICLE IN LE FIGARO IS "TBILISI'S TRIUMPHANT WELCOME FOR 
PRESIDENT BUSH."  THE EDITORIAL BY BRUNO FRAPPAT IN CATHOLIC 
LA CROIX COMMENTS ON THE RECENT CEREMONIES IN MOSCOW, "THE 
WEST'S CAUTIOUS APPROACH TO HISTORY" AND THE "RISING OF NEW 
PERILS" WHICH IN FRAPPAT'S EYES ARE CHINA AND RUSSIA. (SEE 
PART C) 
 
IRAN AND RAFSANDJANI'S DECLARATION THAT HE WILL BE A CANDIDATE 
IN THE JUNE 17 ELECTIONS ARE FRONT-PAGED IN LE FIGARO. AGNES 
ROTIVEL WHO PROFILES RAFSANDJANI IN LA CROIX CONCLUDES: "FOR 
MANY IRANIANS DISAPPOINTED IN KHATAMI, HE APPEARS AS THE ONLY 
CANDIDATE WHO CAN END IRAN'S INTERNATIONAL ISOLATION AND RENEW 
TIES WITH THE U.S., JUST AS THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY IS 
URGING IRAN TO PUT AN END TO ITS NUCLEAR PROGRAM." 
 
LIBERATION REPORTS ON "EGYPT'S FALSE PLURALISM." "EGYPT'S 
OPPOSITION TO MUBARAK'S REGIME HAD FIGURED IT ALL OUT FROM THE 
START. THE POLITICAL REFORM THAT WAS SO EAGERLY AWAITED IN 
EGYPT FIZZLED OUT YESTERDAY, ENDING IN A MERE COSMETIC 
OPERATION WITH THE PARLIAMENT'S ADOPTION OF THE RULES GUIDING 
THE PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION. THE HOPE ELICITED BY MUBARAK'S 
SURPRISE ANNOUNCEMENT TWO MONTHS AGO HAS BEEN DOUSED BY THE 
STRICT CONDITIONS FOR THE ELECTION. THE MANEUVER IS CLEARLY 
AIMED AT MUBARAK'S SOLE RIVAL GROUP, THE MUSLIM BROTHERHOOD." 
 
LE FIGARO CARRIES AN OPEN LETTER SIGNED BY A GROUP OF 
PARLIAMENTARIANS HEADING AN ASSOCIATION CALLED "THE YES FOR 
THE NO" AND WHO OPPOSE TURKEY'S EU MEMBERSHIP. THEY CONTEND 
THAT VOTING `YES' IS THE BEST WAY TO SAY `NO' TO TURKEY. 
 
ALAIN DUHAMEL IN AN OP-ED INLIBERATION TITLED "THE FRENCH 
EXCEPTION," USES THE CONSTITUTION AS A POINT OF DEPARTURE TO 
COMMENT ON FRENCH POLITICAL CULTURE. FRANCE HAS IN HIS VIEW AN 
"INTERMITTENT" DEMOCRACY, AND PEOPLE ARE ONLY CONSULTED ONLY 
ON VOTING DAY EVERY FIVE YEARS. DUHAMEL CONTENDS "FRANCE IS 
NOT A TRUE DEMOCRACY IN THE SENSE OF THE US, UK OR GERMANY." 
 
(C) SUPPORTING TEXT/BLOCK QUOTES: 
 
BUSH TO GEORGIA 
 
"A TRIUMPHANT WELCOME FOR BUSH IN TBILISI" 
LAURE MANDEVILLE IN RIGHT-OF-CENTER LE FIGARO (05/11): "A 
TRIUMPH. IN A NUTSHELL THIS SUMMARIZES THE WELCOME RESERVED 
FOR PRESIDENT BUSH IN GEORGIA. HIS TRIP TO MOSCOW, SANDWICHED 
AS IT WAS BETWEEN RIGA AND TBILISI, SYMBOLIZES THE U.S. 
PRESIDENT'S DUAL STRATEGY: MAINTAIN AN OPEN DIALOGUE WITH 
PUTIN WHILE AMERICAN BULLDOZER DIPLOMACY CONTINUES ITS POLICY 
OF A `DEMOCRATIC ENCIRCLING' OF RUSSIA. ALL THE WHILE MAKING 
BELIEVE THERE IS NO CONTRADICTION IN THIS APPROACH. THE NATURE 
OF THE WELCOME PROVES THE IMPORTANCE OF UNCLE SAM FOR GEORGIA 
AND ITS ATTEMPTS TO SUCCEED ITS ANCHORING ITSELF TO THE WEST. 
WHILE SAAKASHVILI HAS PLAYED THE EUROPEAN CARD, THE SLOWNESS 
OF EU DIPLOMACY IN ACKNOWLEDGING THE IMPORTANCE OF THE 
CAUCASUS DOES NOT SEEM TO RESPOND TO HIS EXPECTATIONS. 
CONVERSELY, THE U.S. HAS COMMITTED TO THE REGION. AND GIVES 
MASSIVE TECHNICAL SUPPORT TO GEORGIA. WHICH CONTINUES TO BE 
CAUGHT IN A STIFLING WRESTLING MATCH WITH MOSCOW IN ORDER TO 
GAIN ITS SOVEREIGNTY." 
GEO-STRATEGY: CHINA AND RUSSIA 
 
"RISING OF NEW PERILS" 
BRUNO FRAPPAT IN CATHOLIC LA CROIX (05/11): "RED FLAGS ON RED 
SQUARE AND CHINESE TEXTILES COVERING THE WEST. RED AND YELLOW 
PERILS? THE KREMLIN'S MILITARY CEREMONIES WERE WITNESSED BY 
REPRESENTATIVES FROM DEMOCRACIES WHO WERE SOMEWHAT PERPLEX BUT 
CAME NEVERTHELESS. THE ECONOMIC AMBITIONS OF THE RISING 
EASTERN POWER ARE COMMENSURATE WITH ITS NEEDS, ITS POTENTIAL 
AND ITS APPETITES. AND THOSE SAME DEMOCRACIES, THE EU AND THE 
U.S. KEEP FROM RAISING THEIR VOICES, BECAUSE ONE NEVER KNOWS 
WITH A RISING POWER, WHETHER IT WILL BECOME AN ALLY OR AN 
ADVERSARY. IT IS NOT WISE TO INSULT EITHER RUSSIA OR CHINA: 
THE FUTURE OF THE WORLD WILL ALSO BE DEFINED BY THIS. EUROPE, 
THE U.S. AND INDIA KNOW IT. REREADING HISTORY THROUGH 
POLITICALLY CORRECT LENSES IS ONE THING. BUT RUSSIA IS TRYING 
TO REGAIN SOME OF ITS LOST GRANDEUR WHILE CHINA MAY SOON BE 
ABLE TO IMPOSE ITS OWN. THE WEST IS NOT DONE WITH HISTORY, 
WHICH MARCHES ON. LITTLE WILL DEPEND ON WHAT THE WEST DOES. 
SOCIETIES AND INDIVIDUAL PEOPLES, THE RUSSIANS AND THE 
CHINESE, WILL BE THE ONES TO SAY HOW THE WORLD TURNS. NOT 
TODAY'S LEADERS." WOLFF