Canada, France and Arrogance

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servl.../National/home

Quote:

French politician denies interference

RHÉAL SÉGUIN

From Wednesday's Globe and Mail

QUEBEC — French presidential hopeful Ségolène Royal said yesterday she was not breaking with French government policy of "neither interference nor indifference" when she expressed sympathy for Quebec independence.

Ms. Royal, the Socialist candidate, said Monday after meeting with Parti Québécois Leader André Boisclair that France shared common values with Quebec such as sovereignty and liberty.

The comments were strongly condemned by both Prime Minister Stephen Harper and Liberal Leader Stéphane Dion as interference in Canadian domestic affairs.

"I showed neither interference nor indifference," Ms. Royal told France's Europe 1 radio network yesterday. "What I said and what I confirm is that in any democracy the people who vote are sovereign and free.

Therefore, Quebeckers in time will decide their fate if asked to do so and it is not up to France to tell either Quebeckers or Canadians what they should do. On the other hand the principles of sovereignty and liberty cannot be disputed."

But the radio host then imitated the voice of former French president Charles de Gaulle and asked; "So you are not saying: Vive le Québec libre," referring to the controversial speech General de Gaulle delivered in 1967 in Montreal that signalled for the first time France's support for the separatist cause.

"They are beautiful words," Ms. Royal responded with laughter.

"But you're not saying that or are you?" the radio host asked.

"Not in that way," Ms. Royal said. "But I repeat the principles of sovereignty and liberty. . . . Perhaps Quebeckers will once again be asked to decide [their political future] if the circumstances permit and they will do so in a sovereign and free way."

Bloc Québécois Leader Gilles Duceppe defended Ms. Royal's remarks, saying that while federalists pretend to be offended by her "intrusion" they were quick to applaud former U.S. president Bill Clinton when he expressed his preference for a united Canada.

"Nobody advised him back then to mind his own business," Mr. Duceppe said yesterday.

I've had enough of France meddling with my country.

The modern version of French meddling in Canadian affairs began in 1967, when General de Gaulle, mindful of the thousands of Canadians who died defending his country in the First World War and the thousands who died liberating it in the Second, openly and arrogantly interfered in Canadian affairs and preached the break-up of Canada.

Recently, the French environment minister began to openly critcise Canadian environmental policy and suggested sacntions against the country for not living up to international obligations - at the same while France was widthdrawing its special forces and not allowing its troops to engage in active fighting in Afghanistan.

Now this?

This is absurd. Canada has been good to France - to my knowledge we haven't critcized their willingness to seel weapons to just about anyone, their support for the RGF during the Rwandan Civil War or tried to impose our multicultural values on their religious policies. We're an observer in the EU and contribute to NATO in a way that's very impressive for our size.

Just who the hell does she think she is? Does France have to moral right to chastise an ally like this? Perhaps it is Canada who should be calling for sanctions against France.

Statements like this can only serve to hurt France. The more absurd they beocme, the less people will want to do business with them.

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It's not just this, though. What about the French criticism of Canada's environmental policies?

There's nowhere I can't reach.

That's different - that's Canada opening up to the UN with environmental ideas. Not our domestic policy. Besides, she was replaced.

This thing is sticky, and I don't like it. I don't appreciate it.