US embassy cable - 05PARIS4446

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 PARIS 004446 
 
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 - EUROPEAN ISSUES - BLAIR 
SPEECH IN BRUSSELS IRAN ELECTIONS UN REFORM - G4 FRENCH - U.S. 
RELATIONS 
PARIS - FRIDAY, JUNE 24, 2005 
 
(A) SUBJECTS COVERED IN TODAY'S REPORT: 
 
1. EUROPEAN ISSUES - BLAIR SPEECH IN BRUSSELS 
2. IRAN ELECTIONS 
3. UN REFORM - G4 
4. FRENCH - U.S. RELATIONS 
 
B) SUMMARY OF COVERAGE: 
 
A MAJORITY OF TODAY'S FRONT-PAGES AND EDITORIALS ARE DEVOTED 
TO TONY BLAIR AND HIS "CHARM OFFENSIVE" (LE FIGARO) IN 
BRUSSELS AS HE PRESENTED HIS PROGRAM BEFORE TAKING OVER THE EU 
PRESIDENCY ON JULY 1ST. CATHOLIC LA CROIX HEADLINES: "EUROPE, 
BRITISH STYLE;" LA TRIBUNE TITLES "TONY BLAIR PRESENTS HIS 
PLAN `B'" AND COMMUNIST L'HUMANITE HEADLINES "BLAIR THE 
LIBERAL STICKS TO HIS GUNS." LE MONDE LAST EVENING HEADLINED: 
"BLAIR WANTS TO `MODERNIZE THE EUROPEAN SOCIAL MODEL'" QUOTING 
THE BRITISH PM FROM AN INSIDE-PAGE INTERVIEW: "I HAVE ALWAYS 
BEEN AN IMPASSIONED EUROPEAN. WE ARE READY TO DISCUSS THE 
REBATE BUT WITHIN A WIDER DISCUSSION ON THE BUDGET. THE 
PRESENT BUDGET DOES NOT MEET THE NEEDS FOR INNOVATION AND 
RESEARCH. IT IS IMPORTANT TO EXPLAIN TO THE FRENCH THAT I AM 
NOT ASKING FOR THE PAC TO BE CHANGED. I SAY ONLY THERE MUST BE 
A COMPLETE OVERHAULING OF THE BUDGET. WHAT I DO NOT ACCEPT IS 
BEING CALLED ANTI-EUROPEAN OR A `BAD EUROPEAN.' REGARDING EU 
EXPANSION, WE MUST EMPHASIZE ITS ADVANTAGES. WE WILL NOT SOLVE 
EUROPE'S PROBLEMS BY PUTTING A STOP TO ITS EXPANSION, BUT BY 
MODERNIZING OUR ECONOMIES. I AM NOT A EURO-SKEPTIC. THERE IS A 
HUGE MISUNDERSTANDING OVER WHAT WE DO, OVER THE SO-CALLED 
ANGLO-SAXON MODEL. THERE ARE PRESENTLY TWO VISIONS OF EUROPE'S 
FUTURE. WHAT SETS THEM APART IS NOT FREE TRADE OR EURO- 
SKEPTICISM, IT IS MODERNIZATION. THIS IS A CHALLENGE FOR 
EUROPE AS WELL AS FOR INDIVIDUAL NATIONS. IT IS TIME FOR 
EUROPE TO MODERNIZE ITS SOCIAL MODEL AND TO RE-DISCOVER THE 
CONCERNS OF ITS PEOPLE." 
 
A VAST NUMBER OF EDITORIALS ANALYZE BLAIR'S PERFORMANCE AS 
WELL AS HIS MESSAGE. SOME SEE HIM AS HIS "MAJESTY'S SUBJECT; A 
JAMES BOND ON A MISSION IMPOSSIBLE" (LE FIGARO), WHILE OTHERS 
AGREE WITH BLAIR THAT THE BUDGET NEEDS TO BE REVAMPED TO FAVOR 
RESEARCH. (SEE PART C) 
 
OTHER STORIES COVERED ARE THE RUN-OFF ELECTION IN IRAN (SEE 
PART C), THE UN G-4 AND UN REFORMS, (SEE PART C) AND THE 
PRELIMINARY G-8 MEETINGS, WITH EMPHASIS ON STATEMENTS MADE ON 
THE ISRAELI-PALESTINIAN CONFLICT AND THE ROADMAP, AND ON THE 
WARNING TO SYRIA. WHILE LE FIGARO TITLES ITS REPORT: "THE G-8 
SUPPORTS ISRAELI PULLOUT," LIBERATION COMMENTS: "THE WEST 
CALLS SYRIA TO ORDER." SECRETARY RICE IS QUOTED EXTENSIVELY, 
AS IS FRENCH FM DOUSTE-BLAZY. THE ARTICLE EMPHASIZES THEIR 
SHARED POSITION ON THIS ISSUE, AS DOES LE PARISIEN, WHICH 
REPORTS ON THEIR BREAKFAST TETE-A-TETE. DOUSTE-BLAZY IS SAID 
TO HAVE REITERATED TO SECRETARY RICE, "WHOM HE ALREADY CALLS 
`CONDI,' `FRANCE'S FRIENDSHIP FOR THE U.S.'" 
 
IN RIGHT-OF-CENTER LE FIGARO COMMENTATOR IVAN RIOUFOL WRITES 
ABOUT TRANSATLANTIC RELATIONS. (SEE PART C) 
 
(C) SUPPORTING TEXT/BLOCK QUOTES: 
 
EUROPEAN ISSUES - BLAIR SPEECH IN BRUSSELS 
 
"MISSION IMPOSSIBLE FOR HIS MAJESTY'S PM" 
ALEXANDRINE BOUILHET IN RIGHT-OF-CENTER LE FIGARO (06/24): 
"BLAIR'S SPEECH WAS SALUTED BY ONE AND ALL. BUT HIS MISSION, 
TO WAKE UP EUROPE, TO MODERNIZE IT AND OPEN ITS EYES TO 
INTERNATIONAL COMPETITION WILL BE DIFFICULT. HIS ADVERSARIES 
ARE SCHROEDER AND CHIRAC. AND IN THIS REMAKE OF `JAMES BOND 
AGAINST DR NO, WITH CHIRAC IN THE ROLE OF NO, 007 HAS MORE 
THAN ONE ALLY. EASTERN EUROPEAN COUNTRIES, PLUS ITALY, SPAIN 
AND IRELAND. BUT WITH ONLY SIX MONTHS, HIS AMBITIOUS MISSION 
REMAINS IMPOSSIBLE. THE WAR ON THE BUDGET HAS LEFT DEEP SCARS 
AND A POLITICAL AGREEMENT SEEMS OUT OF REACH BY DECEMBER. 
MEANWHILE, ANGELA MERKEL, ALTHOUGH SHE DOES NOT LOOK ANYTHING 
LIKE A JAMES BOND GIRL, COULD WELL PLAY THE ROLE OF A 
STRATEGIC ALLY." 
 
"THE PASSIONS OF TONY BLAIR" 
GUILLAUME GOUBERT IN CATHOLIC LA CROIX (06/24): "BLAIR IS 
PASSIONATELY EUROPEAN. HE IS ALSO PASSIONATELY BRITISH. HIS 
POSITION, BOTH AS A EURO-PHILE AND A SOCIAL-LIBERAL IS NOT 
ONLY A MATTER OF STRATEGY. BLAIR BELIEVES IN IT. HE COULD 
ENROLL OTHERS, SUCH AS THE GERMAN CHRISTIAN DEMOCRATS, IF THEY 
COME TO POWER NEXT FALL. IF FRANCE DOES NOT WANT TO BE 
ISOLATED AND CUT OFF FROM ITS GERMAN PARTNER, IT WILL HAVE TO 
BE IMAGINATIVE. IT COULD PROPOSE THE IMPLEMENTATION OF A JOINT 
RESEARCH POLICY." 
 
"MODERN EUROPE" 
LEFT-OF-CENTER LE MONDE IN ITS EDITORIAL (06/24): "BLAIR IS 
RIGHT TO BEMOAN THE FACT THAT THE EU BUDGET IS NOT DEALING 
WITH `MAJOR ISSUES.' HE IS RIGHT TO SAY THAT EUROPE'S ECONOMY 
IS NOT INTERNATIONALLY COMPETITIVE. BUT HE IS NOT TOTALLY 
RIGHT TO OPPOSE THIS `MODERN EUROPE' TO YESTERDAY'S 
`AGRICULTURAL' EUROPE. WHAT BLAIR DOESN'T DO IS PROPOSE A 
JOINT RESEARCH POLICY. IN SHORT HE IS ASKING THE RIGHT 
QUESTIONS BUT WITH THE WRONG WORDS. THE RIGHT TERMS WOULD BE 
TO SAY THAT THE EUROPEAN BUDGET IS INSUFFICIENT. BUT BLAIR'S 
POSITION ON THE NEED TO INCREASE RESEARCH MEANS IS SOLID. THE 
EU-25 NEED TO GET BACK TO THE FUTURE, IN SHORT THEY NEED TO 
FIND ONCE AGAIN THE MEANING OF COMPROMISE." 
 
"HANDICAPS AND DOUBTS" 
PASCAL AUBERT IN CENTRIST LA TRIBUNE (06/24): "TONY THE 
`EUROPEAN' IS STICKING TO HIS MISSION OF MODERNIZING EUROPE. 
BUT BLAIR'S PLAN SUFFERS FROM TWO MAJOR HANDICAPS AND 
SUSPICION. THE FIRST HANDICAP TOUCHES ON THE METHOD HE HAS 
CHOSEN: PLAYING ON THE EU CRISIS TO REACH HIS OBJECTIVES. THE 
SECOND HANDICAP TOUCHES ON HIS - VOLUNTARILY? - UNFINISHED 
PLAN. HIS PROCLAIMED EUROPEAN FLAME AND HIS REJECTION OF 
EUROPE AS AN OPEN MARKET ARE NOT ENOUGH TO HIDE THE IMBALANCED 
NATURE OF HIS PLANS. HE CLEARLY FAVORS AN ECONOMIC VISION AND 
THE POLITICAL IS JUST A MEANS TO AN END. THE SUSPICION OF THE 
`CONTINENTALS' RESIDES IN DOUBTS ABOUT BLAIR'S SINCERITY IN 
HIS EUROPEAN COMMITMENT." 
 
IRAN ELECTIONS 
 
"IRANIANS TO REFEREE ISLAMIC DUEL" 
GEORGES MALBRUNOT IN RIGHT-OF-CENTER LE FIGARO (06/24): 
"IRANIANS WILL BE VOTING TO CHOOSE BETWEEN TWO MEN WITH 
DIAMETRICALLY OPPOSED PROGRAMS AND PERSONALITIES. THE FUTURE 
OF IRAN'S REFORMS AND ITS RELATIONS WITH THE WEST WILL DEPEND 
ON THE OUTCOME OF THE ELECTION, WHICH IS SAID TO BE VERY 
CLOSE. IF THE TURNOUT IS MASSIVE, AS IN THE FIRST ROUND, 
RAFSANJANI COULD TAKE THE LEAD. REFORMERS AND INTELLECTUALS 
HAVE PUT THEIR DIFFERENCES ASIDE IN ORDER TO COUNTER THE MAYOR 
OF TEHRAN. HIS INTRANSIGENCE AND HIS POPULIST STANCE ARE NOT 
GOOD OMENS FOR IRAN JUST WHEN THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY IS 
LOOKING FOR TOKENS ON ITS NUCLEAR PROGRAM. BUT FEAR IS GREAT 
IN PUBLIC OPINION BECAUSE OF RUMORS THAT THE FIRST ROUND WAS 
RIGGED IN FAVOR OF TEHERAN'S MAYOR." 
 
UN REFORM - G4 
 
"UN REFORM TURNING SOUR" 
ALAIN BARLUET IN RIGHT-OF-CENTER LE FIGARO (06/24): "THE 
PROSPECT FOR UN REFORM HAS DARKENED FOR LACK OF A CONSENSUS. 
THE U.S. HAS JUST REVEALED ITS PREFERENCE REGARDING THE 
ENLARGEMENT OF THE UNSC . AND ITS OPEN SUPPORT FOR JAPAN'S 
CANDIDACY. A CHOICE THAT CHINA STRONGLY OPPOSES. LULA'S BRAZIL 
DOES NOT ENJOY WASHINGTON'S FAVORS, AND NEITHER DOES GERMANY, 
FOR HAVING SIDED WITH THE SIDE OF PEACE OVER IRAQ. THE 
IMPOSSIBLE CONSENSUS COULD BE FATAL TO THE REFORM. WHILE SOME 
COUNTRIES COULD BE TEMPTED TO SUPPORT THIS STALEMATE, OTHERS 
FEAR IT, BECAUSE AS A FRENCH DIPLOMAT SAID: `WE NEED TO MOVE 
TO OTHER THINGS.'" 
 
FRENCH - U.S. RELATIONS 
 
"QUESTIONS ON THE U.S." 
IVAN RIOUFOL IN RIGHT-OF-CENTER LE FIGARO (06/24): "IN THE 
SERIES `LET'S BE FRANK,' TONY BLAIR RECENTLY SUGGESTED EUROPE 
THINK ABOUT WHAT RELATIONS IT NEEDS TO ENTERTAIN WITH THE U.S. 
FRANCE'S ANTI-AMERICANISM, ANTI-LIBERALISM AND PACIFISM. HAVE 
MADE THIS A HOT TOPIC. THE FRENCH AND A MAJORITY OF 
INTERNATIONAL PUBLIC OPINION SUPPORTED CHIRAC AND SCHROEDER IN 
THEIR OPPOSITION TO BUSH AND BLAIR OVER IRAQ. PARIS HAS 
ABDICATED BEFORE TOTALITARIANISM IN IRAQ AND HAS BEEN ABSENT 
FROM THE DEMOCRATIZATION PROCESS THAT HAS DEVELOPED IN SPITE 
OF TERRORISM. CONVERSELY, IN THE NAME OF ITS PRO-ARAB POLICY, 
ITS TIES WITH DESPOTS HAVE BEEN CONSOLIDATED. HAS THIS `SOFT 
POWER' STRENGTHENED FRANCE? THE HUMILIATION SUFFERED BY FRANCE 
IN IRAQ WHERE JOURNALISTS HAVE BEEN HELD HOSTAGE HAS COOLED 
THE IMAGE OF RESPECTABILITY WHICH FRANCE ACQUIRED IN THE ARAB- 
MUSLIM WORLD. IN SHORT, FRANCE'S POSITION AGAINST THE U.S. IS 
NOT AS INDISPUTABLE AS POLITICIANS AND THE MEDIA CLAIM IT TO 
BE. CHIRAC HAD STRONG ARGUMENTS AGAINST BUSH. BUT ONE MIGHT 
WONDER IF THE NATION THAT SAW THE BIRTH OF HUMAN RIGHTS IS 
GIVING ENOUGH SUPPORT TO THE FRAGILE SIDE OF DEMOCRACIES, 
WHICH HAVE BECOME THE TARGET OF FUNDAMENTALIST IDEOLOGY. ARE 
THE AMERICANS REALLY OUR ADVERSARIES?" WOLFF