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April 26, 2005
Lending a hand
The Germans are joining their fellow Euro-brethren in their nervousness:
"To vote Yes is to make a choice for a more socially-oriented, more independent, more powerful Europe, in which the weight of France will be significantly increased," Mr Chirac said at a joint press conference with Gerhard Schröder, Germany's chancellor, in Paris.
"To vote Yes is to reinforce France, to defend French interests, to remain faithful to the vocation and ambition of our country on the domestic scene and the international stage," he said.
Mr Schröder also pitched into the French domestic debate, urging voters to remain faithful to their European vision. "The idea of a unified Europe comes from France," he said, adding that a No vote would weaken the collective power of all Europeans. [emphasis mine]
Rather bold language on Chirac's part, given Schroeder's presence at the press conference with him, and nationalistic, too, given that it concerned a very supra-nationalistic EU constitution. But Chirac is justifiably scared about the prospects for success in the upcoming constitutional referendum, and as with any politician facing a tough domestic battle, he will use the language it takes to get him the votes. The outcome of the French referendum will have very real and very serious consequences for Germany, so it should be little surprise that Schroeder is doing what he can to help out Chirac.
This scene certainly is a fascinating sign of how far the EU has come. By breaking down national boundaries, the supra-national EU has forced the German chancellor into a position of near accountablity to the citizens of France. Constitution or not, that's saying quite a lot.
Posted by Daniel Widome at 06:16 PM to Europe
