Well, it would make a change, don't you think? But of course, I don't mean a military attack, I mean a political-economic attack and the' battlefield' as so often in European history will be "plucky little Belgium", or to be precise, Brussels. Today, France was downgraded by Standard & Poors which is simply recognising the total merde into which France has been led by the now rather ridiculous Hollande. However, before readying the guillotine for the poor fool we should look further afield, according to Ambrose E-P in The Telegraph, who suggests that fingers should be pointed past Brussels, across the north German plains all the way to Brandenburg-Prussia and its capital, Berlin.
As I have mentioned before, austerity in Europe which leads to a weak euro currency suits Berlin down to the ground. Its exports thrive, indeed, they have done so well that even Obama, his recent embarrassment over listening in to Frau Merkel's personal 'phone as quickly forgotten as his recent 'hugbunny' visit to the Brandenburg Gate, has begun to whinge about it in public. I don't remember a US president of recent times attacking Germany in public. Anyway, as Ambrose E-P reminds us today, and as the late Lord Ridley forecast 23 years ago, the EU is "a German racket designed to take over the whole of Europe". He, of course, was in effect sacked - for being dead right! But the situation now is growing perilous. I always thought that it would be Italy that brought down the EU but now it really could be France according to Ambrose E-P:
This is the nub of the matter. The central tenet of EMU doctrine is that countries will not reform unless they face a crisis, and their feet are held to the fire. There is a near religious belief in Berlin – evangelised by Brussels, and the EMU gang of five – that any let up in austerity, any recourse to stimulus, let alone a new deal, is a gift to shirkers who want to dodge reform.
Will the French really hang on as first their toes and then their feet go up in flames? Or will they, as Ambrose E-P suggests, lead the way for the southern Med nations to defy Berlin and Brussels?
It is not too late for Hollande to avoid this horrible political fate. He can at any time pluck up courage, forge a grand reflation coalition, and bring Brussels to heel. He is the elected leader of a great nation. EU officials are just civil servants.
This means confronting Germany, of course. But that fight has to come, as Paris Professor Steve Ohana lays out in his new book “Désobéir pour sauver l’Europe”. France must revolt to save Europe, and only France can lead such a coalition.
Echoing the potential for a major shift in policy over here if UKIP win big in next year's European elections, the political ground will really shift in France if Marie le Pen and her National Front party do the same in France. So come on, chaps, all together now - vive La France!
