The Hindu : Deep differences

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Sunday, Mar 23, 2003

Opinion

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Deep differences

The war has only served to crystallise already existing divisions both within the E.U. and between Europe and the U.S., says Vaiju Naravane.

THE FRENCH have woken up with a bitter taste in the mouth. "Yes, we did occupy the moral high ground and continue to do so. We held out for our principles but look where it got us. The British and the Americans made scapegoats of us. We are in the doghouse and the three international institutions, NATO, the European Union and the United Nations, the foundations upon which we built our foreign policy have been irreparably damaged. The buffeting they have received will take years to repair with France seen as an unreliable ally," said the respected French commentator, Dominique Bromberger.

But his view appears to be singularly black. While it is true that the future of the Atlantic Alliance in its present form appears uncertain and many are predicting a U.S.-led upheaval in the United Nations, the talk in Europe is already about picking up the pieces after Saddam Hussein. It is about post-war reconstruction and building bridges.

Although the atmosphere at Thursday's European Summit in Brussels was decidedly tense, with France striking off all references to Mr. Hussein's "unwillingness to comply with Resolution 1441", there was agreement that Europe must make a conscious effort to resolve its differences and move on from the present standoff. There is talk too of the U.N. stepping in to lead the reconstruction efforts. In the immediate future, there will be an attempt to paper over the cracks. But over time, far-reaching changes can be expected in all the three institutions — NATO, the U.N. and the E.U.

With the wrath of the U.S. administration upon its head, France perhaps has more to lose than any other European nation. Already, there is rumbling in Washington about jettisoning the French from their permanent U.N. Security Council chair — easier said than done. A U.S. boycott of French products and other punitive measures, involving high-tech components, could really hurt the French economy at a time when it is on the brink of a recession.

The war has only served to crystallise already existing divisions both within the E.U. and between Europe and the U.S. First, within Europe itself, the Franco-German partnership has been criticised by middling powers such as Italy and Spain. Is there a likelihood of Britain, Spain, Italy and a host of eager beaver new East European entrants, keen on picking up the economic benefits, joining the E.U. while pledging allegiance to Washington, isolating these two giants? Guillaume Parmentier, Director of the French Centre on the United States (CFE) at the Institute of International Relations, told The Hindu: "France and Germany cannot be sidelined within Europe. Because of the strength of their economies, their geographical position and size, both in terms of land mass and population, the Franco-German combine will continue to be the force behind Europe."

Britain's Prime Minister, Tony Blair, has attempted to push the panic button by talking of an emerging axis between France, Germany and Russia — an allusion to events leading up to the first World War. The E.U. must continue to work under the U.S. umbrella, he has said, arguing that Europe should be part of, not a counterweight to, the Atlantic Alliance.

A strong Europe that speaks with a single voice is the only way forward, French diplomats say. But in the absence of that, a "multi-polar" opposition that includes Russia and China is the only realistic option, they persist.

The fallout of this war is not entirely negative for France, which has assumed a leadership role winning accolades from developing countries and the Middle East, China, Russia and Latin America. The French have taken a long-term view.

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