Comments on: France’s Finances Under The Microscope http://fistfulofeuros.net/afoe/the-european-union/frances-finances-under-the-microscope/ European Opinion Fri, 09 Jan 2009 22:47:50 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6.3 By: Bob B http://fistfulofeuros.net/afoe/the-european-union/frances-finances-under-the-microscope/#comment-9137 Bob B Sat, 18 Jun 2005 08:40:04 +0000 http://fistfulofeuros.net/wordpress/?p=1564#comment-9137 Only 3-5 years? At least that is definitely progress of a kind on the Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars, which lasted from 1793 through 1815, an earlier but ultimately abortive attempt at European integration. France's new prime minister, Dominique De Villepin, was reported saying in an interview with the Washington Post only two years back: "BRUSSELS [24 February 2003] -- Was Napoleon's defeat at Waterloo a glorious moment in France's history? In a best-selling account of Napoleon's final days published two years ago, France's multi-talented foreign minister, Dominique Galouzeau de Villepin, argues that, yes, even today, Napoleon's defeat 'shines with an aura worthy of victory.' . . " http://www.washingtonpost.com/ac2/wp-dyn/A55843-2003Feb23?language=printer On the BBC's radio Today programme, they had an interview clip with someone saying they were setting up to re-enact the Battle of Waterloo on the site where it happened, about now in the calendar, 190 years ago. I trust events won't get out of hand: " . . all of the Napoleonic battles listed above began and ended on the same day, usually from sunrise to sunset. Waterloo was a 10-hour battle; therefore, there were an everage of 6,100 casualties per hour of the battle. This is tremendous. Except for a very few battles in World War I, no battle fought in the 20th Century can come close to matching the horror of the typical large Napoleonic battle." http://www.napoleonic-literature.com/WE/Casualties.html Only 3-5 years? At least that is definitely progress of a kind on the Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars, which lasted from 1793 through 1815, an earlier but ultimately abortive attempt at European integration.

France’s new prime minister, Dominique De Villepin, was reported saying in an interview with the Washington Post only two years back:

“BRUSSELS [24 February 2003] — Was Napoleon’s defeat at Waterloo a glorious moment in France’s history? In a best-selling account of Napoleon’s final days published two years ago, France’s multi-talented foreign minister, Dominique Galouzeau de Villepin, argues that, yes, even today, Napoleon’s defeat ’shines with an aura worthy of victory.’ . . ”
http://www.washingtonpost.com/ac2/wp-dyn/A55843-2003Feb23?language=printer

On the BBC’s radio Today programme, they had an interview clip with someone saying they were setting up to re-enact the Battle of Waterloo on the site where it happened, about now in the calendar, 190 years ago. I trust events won’t get out of hand:

” . . all of the Napoleonic battles listed above began and ended on the same day, usually from sunrise to sunset. Waterloo was a 10-hour battle; therefore, there were an everage of 6,100 casualties per hour of the battle. This is tremendous. Except for a very few battles in World War I, no battle fought in the 20th Century can come close to matching the horror of the typical large Napoleonic battle.”
http://www.napoleonic-literature.com/WE/Casualties.html

]]> By: CapTVK http://fistfulofeuros.net/afoe/the-european-union/frances-finances-under-the-microscope/#comment-9136 CapTVK Sat, 18 Jun 2005 03:30:53 +0000 http://fistfulofeuros.net/wordpress/?p=1564#comment-9136 I think the reason the markets are taking this so calmly is because the market banked on this happening. For them, 3-5 years of political stagnation, this is "certainty" factored into the market. Should things be resolved within a 3-5 year period it will be considered a bonus. I think the reason the markets are taking this so calmly is because the market banked on this happening. For them, 3-5 years of political stagnation, this is “certainty” factored into the market. Should things be resolved within a 3-5 year period it will be considered a bonus.

]]> By: Bob B http://fistfulofeuros.net/afoe/the-european-union/frances-finances-under-the-microscope/#comment-9135 Bob B Sat, 18 Jun 2005 01:38:02 +0000 http://fistfulofeuros.net/wordpress/?p=1564#comment-9135 I go out to take books back to the local library and do a bit of grocery shopping and the newspaper billboards for the London Evening Standard have headlines: It's war with France. I joke not. As the man said, it's deja vu all over again. I go out to take books back to the local library and do a bit of grocery shopping and the newspaper billboards for the London Evening Standard have headlines: It’s war with France. I joke not. As the man said, it’s deja vu all over again.

]]> By: anne http://fistfulofeuros.net/afoe/the-european-union/frances-finances-under-the-microscope/#comment-9134 anne Sat, 18 Jun 2005 00:28:09 +0000 http://fistfulofeuros.net/wordpress/?p=1564#comment-9134 What is interesting is how calm international stock and bond markets are. There is no reflection of anything amiss in the markets. What is interesting is how calm international stock and bond markets are. There is no reflection of anything amiss in the markets.

]]> By: P O'Neill http://fistfulofeuros.net/afoe/the-european-union/frances-finances-under-the-microscope/#comment-9133 P O'Neill Sat, 18 Jun 2005 00:23:16 +0000 http://fistfulofeuros.net/wordpress/?p=1564#comment-9133 The government had a chance to promote a real public debate about spending and blew it. In the response to the heatwave crisis, they identified some presumably legitimate needs for extra spending. So they could have said that we need to find this money, for a consensus need, and then pose the question "how do we raise the funds?" Higher taxes, or cut something else? The overtaxed French would have balked at the former, so maybe the latter gets a serious look. But instead they make the funds the payroll taxes from this "Day of Solidarity" on the Pentecost holiday, which tangled in debates about work hours and the precious vacances as well -- all nicely timed 2 weeks before the EU referendum. A competent government would have done things very differently -- and maybe driven home some reform messages in the process. The government had a chance to promote a real public debate about spending and blew it. In the response to the heatwave crisis, they identified some presumably legitimate needs for extra spending. So they could have said that we need to find this money, for a consensus need, and then pose the question “how do we raise the funds?” Higher taxes, or cut something else? The overtaxed French would have balked at the former, so maybe the latter gets a serious look. But instead they make the funds the payroll taxes from this “Day of Solidarity” on the Pentecost holiday, which tangled in debates about work hours and the precious vacances as well — all nicely timed 2 weeks before the EU referendum. A competent government would have done things very differently — and maybe driven home some reform messages in the process.

]]> By: Bob B http://fistfulofeuros.net/afoe/the-european-union/frances-finances-under-the-microscope/#comment-9132 Bob B Fri, 17 Jun 2005 22:37:27 +0000 http://fistfulofeuros.net/wordpress/?p=1564#comment-9132 After reading the FT report on the OECD survey of the French economy, I am surprised that the usual Paris-based suspects have not denounced this as further evidence of the diabolical Anglo-Saxon conspiracy and called for more strikes of public sector workers to demonstrate support for France's social model and even greater EU subsidies for agriculture. After reading the FT report on the OECD survey of the French economy, I am surprised that the usual Paris-based suspects have not denounced this as further evidence of the diabolical Anglo-Saxon conspiracy and called for more strikes of public sector workers to demonstrate support for France’s social model and even greater EU subsidies for agriculture.

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