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Europe
US-French relations likely to shift as Chirac exits world stage
2007-03-14
US-FRENCH relations are set to shift as France chooses a successor to President Jacques Chirac, who has defined himself on the world stage as an opponent of American dominance. With ChiracÂ’s long-expected announcement on Sunday that he would not seek another term, French elections beginning April 22 provide an opportunity for the allies to strengthen cooperation unhindered by rancor between Chirac and US President George W Bush.

While the two nations have cooperated in recent years on many issues dear to Washington, relations between the two presidents never fully recovered from Chirac’s vehement opposition to the Iraq war. On Monday, Bush -through a spokesman -wished Chirac well in his life after politics. “The United States and France have been and will remain steadfast partners and allies,” spokesman Gordon Johndroe said.
Posted by:Fred

#9  Britain's gone, they've chosen the ovenmakers and the gigolo.
Posted by: anonymous2u   2007-03-14 20:15  

#8  Nah, no change. The Frogs will continue to sneer at us as ignorant, stupid Philistines and maintain their air of cultural superiority--right up to the point where they come begging for us to save them from the Muzzies.
Posted by: Mac   2007-03-14 17:41  

#7  Note to France: We still will not buy into the Airbust subsidy bs.
Posted by: USN, Ret.   2007-03-14 16:39  

#6  The greatest damage France is doing is to seduce the Brits into EUrope. This will continue, with or without Chiraq as a matter of French EUropean policy. The Brits will probably not be willing to join us the next time and even if they were willing, they won't be able because of the extent to which their forces will have become EUropeanized and unable to act independently. It'll be us, Oz and maybe India.
Posted by: Nimble Spemble   2007-03-14 16:18  

#5  Sarkozy is a French Nationalist that seeing the world for what it is may be more inclined to skip the PC LLL BS and make a pact with the US to defeat a mutual threat. He would not be a US ally like Britian, Australia but we could work with him in mutual benificial goals against mutual enemies.

The Socialist girl on the other may not have the Bush derangment syndrome of just oppose anything Bush/US propose however her PC LLL foundation will pretty much get her into that position anyway. Under her watch we may get less active undermining of everything we do but I would doubt any support of any kind with public refusals to boot just short the Chirac days of activley campaining against our proposals.

Either way a improvement. Unless of course in some wild chance Villipen gets the thumbs up then we are Chirac X 2.
Posted by: C-Low   2007-03-14 13:36  

#4  ANY change in leadership will have some effect on US/France relations. The only unknown is exactly what that effect will be. Chiraq was the last of the "DeGaulle Era" politicians that could hold major political office in France. He's not the last ARROGANT French politician, but he's the last that still holds the DeGaulle "attitude of afront" over the French role in NATO that caused DeGaulle to withdraw from that agreement and expel US forces from France. That alone will change attitudes between France and the US.
Posted by: Old Patriot   2007-03-14 12:36  

#3  Given the role that France has chosen to play as a counterweight to whatever the US does, I seriously don't expect anything to change no matter who is running the country. A little nice talk maybe, but that's it.
Posted by: SteveS   2007-03-14 09:15  

#2  Nope. Royal doesn't have the pathological hate of the US that Chirac has.
Posted by: JFM   2007-03-14 02:38  

#1  It depends on whom the French vote for. Royal might be worse than Chirac, while Sarkozy might be somewhat rational. We'll find out soon.
Posted by: Eric Jablow   2007-03-14 00:04  

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