US embassy cable - 05PARIS3809

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 PARIS 003809 
 
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 - EU REFERENDUM - NETHERLANDS' 
VOTE - FRENCH CABINET RESHUFFLE AFGHANISTAN 
PARIS - THURSDAY, JUNE 02, 2005 
 
 
(A) SUBJECTS COVERED IN TODAY'S REPORT: 
 
1. EU REFERENDUM - NETHERLANDS' VOTE - FRENCH CABINET 
RESHUFFLE 
2. AFGHANISTAN 
 
B) SUMMARY OF COVERAGE: 
 
AFTER THE FRENCH "NON," THE DUTCH "NEE" ON THE EU CONSTITUTION 
IS ONE OF TODAY'S MAJOR STORIES, (SEE PART C) WHILE FRONT 
PAGES ARE OVERWHELMINGLY DEVOTED TO PRIME MINISTER DE 
VILLEPIN'S STRATEGY TO COMBAT UNEMPLOYMENT AND THE DIFFICULT 
DAYS AHEAD, INFLUENCED BY THE FORCED COHABITATION OF DE 
VILLEPIN WITH INTERIOR MINISTER SARKOZY. ACCORDING TO LE 
FIGARO, THEY ARE DIAMETRICALLY OPPOSED. THE MORE TRADITIONAL 
GAULLIST DE VILLEPIN IS CONTRASTED TO THE MORE MODERN, 
`ATLANTICIST' SARKOZY. HIS TRIP TO THE U.S. WHEN HE WAS 
INTERIOR MINISTER IS RECALLED AS HAVING BEEN A SUCCESS. (SEE 
PART C) IN LE MONDE, A REPORT ON U.S. REACTION TO DE 
VILLEPIN'S NOMINATION COMMENTS: "DURING HIS HOUR-LONG PRESS 
BRIEFING PRESIDENT BUSH MADE NO MENTION OF THE FRENCH VOTE ON 
THE CONSTITUTION AND NOT A SINGLE QUESTION WAS ASKED ON DE 
VILLEPIN'S NOMINATION. EUROPE IS NOT A TOPIC WHICH THE 
AMERICANS ARE EAGER TO COMMENT ON. LESS THAN A MONTH AFTER 
WELCOMING FM BARNIER TO THE WHITE HOUSE, THE AMERICANS ARE 
PERPLEXED BY THE CHOICE OF DE VILLEPIN AS PRIME MINISTER, A 
PROMOTER OF A `MULTIPOLAR' WORLD, EVEN IF THEY KNOW THE PM'S 
PORTFOLIO DOES NOT INCLUDE FOREIGN POLICY." 
 
COMMENTARY ON CHIRAC'S DECISION TO NOMINATE TWO STRONG 
PERSONALITIES TO LEAD THE NATION DOMINATES. LA CROIX SEES 
CHIRAC AS THE "UMPIRE" OF THIS TEAM, BUT WONDERS IF "IN NOT 
CHOOSING BETWEEN THE TWO, CHIRAC MAY BE RUNNING THE RISK OF 
MISSING OUT ON COLLECTING THE ADVANTAGES OF EITHER." DE 
VILLEPIN'S TELEVISED ADDRESS LAST EVENING ELICITS COMMENTARY 
ABOUT HIS RHETORIC AS OPPOSED TO CONCRETE MEASURES TO DEAL 
WITH FRANCE'S UNEMPLOYMENT. (SEE PART C) 
 
IN INTERNATIONAL NEWS, THE ATTACK IN KANDAHAR IS REPORTED AND 
AN EDITORIAL IN LA CROIX SUGGESTS THAT "PROGRESS IN 
AFGHANISTAN IS STILL TOO SLOW." (SEE PART C) 
 
THE FRENCH CRIMINAL INVESTIGATION INTO THE DETENTION OF TWO 
FRENCHMEN IN GUANTANAMO IS REPORTED. LEFT-OF-CENTER LIBERATION 
AS WELL AS RIGHT-OF-CENTER LE FIGARO NOTE THAT THIS IS A 
"WORLDWIDE FIRST." IN LIBERATION, ONE OF THE DETAINEES' 
LAWYERS IS QUOTED: "THE MAGISTRATES WILL TRY TO IDENTIFY THOSE 
WHO WERE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE DETENTION CAMP." LIBERATION ALSO 
REPORTS: "THE FRENCH JUDGES WILL BE ASKING FOR COOPERATION 
FROM THE U.S. THEY MAY WELL BE FACING A STONEWALL IN SPITE OF 
THE TREATY FOR JUDICIAL COOPERATION BETWEEN FRANCE AND THE 
U.S." RIGHT-OF-CENTER LE FIGARO STARTS ITS REPORT WITH AN 
"EXPLOSIVE" QUESTION: "WILL FRENCH JUDGES CONCLUDE THAT THE 
U.S. HAS VIOLATED INTERNATIONAL LAW IN AFGHANISTAN AND IN 
GUANTANAMO? THIS EXPLOSIVE QUESTION IS AT THE CORE OF THE 
INVESTIGATION INTO A COMPLAINT FOR `ILLEGAL ARREST AND 
ARBITRARY DETENTION' FILED BY TWO FORMER FRENCH GUANTANAMO 
DETAINEES. THE INVESTIGATION IS AS LEGALLY INTRICATE AS IT IS 
POLITICALLY SENSITIVE." 
 
THE ECONOMIC PRESS REPORTS EXTENSIVELY ON THE DIFFICULTIES 
AIRBUS IS FACING IN ITS TIMELY DELIVERY OF THE A380. 
LIBERATION COMMENTS IN AN ARTICLE TITLED: "EADS ON 
CATASTROPHIC PILOT." "WITH THE PARIS AIR SHOW TEN DAYS AWAY, 
EADS AND ITS MAIN SUBSIDIARY, AIRBUS, ARE GIVING THEMSELVES 
THE WORST POSSIBLE AD CAMPAIGN. YESTERDAY, EADS STILL HAD NO 
CEO AND AIRBUS WAS FORCED TO ACKNOWLEDGE THAT ITS STAR 
FLAGSHIP, THE A380, WOULD NOT BE DELIVERED ON TIME, FORCING 
AIRBUS TO PAY PENALTIES. ONE CAN ALREADY HEAR THE SNICKERING 
FROM BOEING, WHICH IS FEELING PARTICULARLY STRONG SINCE THE 
U.S. DECISION TO GO BEFORE THE WTO." 
 
(C) SUPPORTING TEXT/BLOCK QUOTES: 
 
EU REFERENDUM - NETHERLANDS' VOTE - FRENCH CABINET RESHUFFLE 
 
"A PRESIDENT UMPIRE" 
FRANCOIS ERNENWEIN IN CATHOLIC LA CROIX (06/02): "BY FORCING 
THE COHABITATION OF TWO SUCH CONTRADICTORY WILLS AND PROJECTS, 
AS THOSE OF DE VILLEPIN AND SARKOZY, PRESIDENT CHIRAC SHOWS HE 
IS REFUSING TO CHOOSE BETWEEN DE VILLEPIN'S GUARANTEED 
CONTINUITY AND SARKOZY'S AVOWED DESIRE FOR A BREAK. BY MIXING 
THE TWO, CHIRAC IS RUNNING THE RISK OF DEPRIVING HIMSELF OF 
THE ADVANTAGES OF ONE VISION AS WELL AS THE BENEFITS OF THE 
OTHER." 
 
"A GAULLIST VISION VERSUS ATLANTICIST BELIEFS" 
ISABELLE LASSERRE IN RIGHT-OF-CENTER LE FIGARO (06/02): "DE 
VILLEPIN, WHO SPEAKS PERFECT ENGLISH, ANNOYS THE AMERICANS 
BECAUSE OF HIS MILITANT SUPPORT FOR A MULTIPOLAR WORLD, AT THE 
CENTER OF WHICH EUROPE, BUT MOSTLY FRANCE, WOULD PLAY AN 
IMPORTANT ROLE AGAINST THE U.S. CONVERSELY, SARKOZY WHO SPEAKS 
A FALTERING ENGLISH, PRESENTS HIMSELF AS A `FRIEND' OF THE 
AMERICANS, PUTTING HIS ANGLO-SAXON PRAGMATISM AT THE SERVICE 
OF THE TRANSATLANTIC RELATIONSHIP." 
 
"THE SHOCKWAVE OF MAY 29" 
PIERRE ROUSSELIN IN RIGHT-OF-CENTER LE FIGARO (06/02): "FRANCE 
WILL NOT HAVE STAYED LONG ALONE IN THE CAMP OF THE `NO.' IT 
HAS NOW BEEN JOINED BY THE NETHERLANDS, BUT IT IS A MEAGER 
CONSOLATION. THIS SECOND REJECTION OF THE EU CONSTITUTION 
GIVES THE MEASURE OF THE MAGNITUDE OF THE EUROPEAN CRISIS, 
WHICH IS AFFECTING A SMALL COUNTRY WITHOUT ASPIRATIONS OF 
BECOMING A MAJOR POWER, WHICH HAS ALWAYS BEEN PRO-ATLANTIC AND 
ATTACHED TO THE ANGLO-SAXON LIBERAL MODEL. IN BOTH CASES THE 
VOTE INDICATES THERE IS A REJECTION OF A CERTAIN TYPE OF 
EUROPE. ITS EXPANSION, AND THE PROSPECT OF TURKEY'S 
MEMBERSHIP, EXACERBATE IMMIGRATION ISSUES. WITH TWO SUCCESSIVE 
REJECTIONS, THE PROCESS OF RATIFICATION IS SIGNIFICANTLY 
THREATENED. THERE IS A STRONG TEMPTATION TO HALT THE PROCESS. 
AND TONY BLAIR IS THINKING ABOUT CANCELING THE UK REFERENDUM. 
THE CRISIS WHICH STARTED IN FRANCE, AND SPREAD TO THE 
NETHERLANDS COULD CONTINUE TO SPREAD, WITH SERIOUS 
CONSEQUENCES." 
 
"PLAN B(LAIR)" 
PATRICK SABATIER IN LEFT-OF-CENTER LIBERATION (06/02): "THE 
MASSIVE DUTCH `NEE' IS A CONTINUATION OF THE DISASTER FILM 
WHICH STARTED IN FRANCE. IF THE ROAD TO POLITICAL UNITY IS CUT 
OFF, THE ONLY ALTERNATIVE FOR EUROPE MAY BE BLAIR'S PLAN B: 
KEEPING THE EUROPEAN UNION AS A FREE-TRADE ZONE WITH AS FEW 
REGULATIONS AS POSSIBLE." 
 
"THE EU'S POLITICAL UNITY IS BRAIN DEAD" 
JEAN QUATREMER IN LEFT-OF-CENTER LIBERATION (06/02): "BLAIR 
HAS A GOLDEN OPPORTUNITY TO IMPOSE HIS LEADERSHIP ON A EUROPE 
IN DISARRAY, AND TO TURN INTO TRIUMPH THE BRITISH VISION OF A 
VAST AND ORGANIZED FREE-TRADE EUROPE THAT WILL NO LONGER 
ASPIRE TO BECOME THE POLITICAL `COUNTERWEIGHT' OF THE U.S. THE 
LANDSCAPE IS ONE OF DESOLATION. AFTER THE TWO `NO' VOTES, THE 
PROJECT OF A EU TREATY IS BRAIN DEAD, DEPRIVING THE EU OF ANY 
ASPIRATION TO POLITICAL UNITY IN THE NEAR FUTURE. THE ATTEMPT 
TO BUILD A POLITICAL EUROPE HAVING FAILED, AND WITH THE FRANCO- 
GERMAN COUPLE DIMINISHED, BLAIR AND HIS PROBABLE SUCCESSOR, 
GORDON BROWN, WILL BE FACING AN OPEN AVENUE TO IMPLEMENT WHAT 
THEY WANT MOST: OPEN COMPETITION, DEREGULATION AND FREE 
TRADE." 
 
AFGHANISTAN 
 
"SUCH SLOW PROGRESS" 
JEAN-CHRISTOPHE PLOQUIN IN CATHOLIC LA CROIX (06/02): "A 
COUNTRY THAT HAS BEEN SUBJECTED TO SUCH VIOLENCE FOR SO LONG 
CANNOT GET BACK ON ITS FEET OVERNIGHT. THE VIOLENCE THAT IS 
ERUPTING ONCE MORE AFTER THE WINTER TRUCE OBEYS A CYCLICAL 
SEASONAL RHYTHM. THE TALIBAN ARE ONCE AGAIN DEMONSTRATING 
THEIR PRESENCE. AFGHANISTAN APPEARS ONCE AGAIN TO BE EXTREMELY 
VULNERABLE TO ALL ATTEMPTS TO DESTABILIZE THE COUNTRY. 
PRESIDENT KARZAI ENJOYS THE SUPPORT OF THE U.S. AND NATO IN 
THE NORTH AND THE WEST. BUT THE PRESIDENT APPEARS TO BE 
POLITICALLY AND MILITARILY STILL TOO WEAK TO TRIGGER THE 
COUNTRY'S MODERNIZATION. AFGHANISTAN IS BEING FED 
INTRAVENOUSLY AND MANY WINTERS WILL PASS BEFORE PEACE AND 
DEVELOPMENT CAN TAKE ROOT." WOLFF