Cablegate: Eu Constitution: President Chirac Takes His Case

This record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available.

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 PARIS 002604

SIPDIS

SENSITIVE

DEPT ALSO FOR EUR/WE, EUR/ERA, EUR/PPD, DRL/IL AND INR/EUR
AND EB
DEPT OF LABOR FOR ILAB
DEPT OF COMMERCE FOR ITA

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PGOV ELAB EU FR PINR SOCI
SUBJECT: EU CONSTITUTION: PRESIDENT CHIRAC TAKES HIS CASE
TO THE PEOPLE; CLAIMS U.S. OPPOSED TO STRONG EUROPE

SENSITIVE BUT UNCLASSIFIED. Please protect accordingly.

SUMMARY
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1. (SBU) Seeking to revive flagging support in France for the
proposed EU Constitution, President Chirac, in a closely
followed TV event the evening of April 14, made his case that
the constitution's defeat in the May 29 referendum would
isolate France, undermining its influence in Europe, and
through Europe, in the world. Notably, he used the occasion
to assert, erroneously, that the U.S. opposes the goal of a
strong Europe. Chirac, taking questions from an audience of
80 high school and university students, repeatedly emphasized
that the proposed Constitution would protect "the European
(read French) social model" -- a clear bid to convince
undecided and center-left voters that they should vote in
favor of the proposed charter. Chirac ruled out the
possibility that he would resign if French voters rejected
the constitution. Polls will chart the effect of the French
President's direct intervention in the "yes" campaign. First
reactions were not promising: an editorial in France's
leading, center-right newspaper summed up Chirac's
performance as a "missed opportunity." END SUMMARY.

CONTROVERSIAL TV APPEARANCE
---------------------------
2. (SBU) Seeking to revive flagging support in France for the
proposed EU Constitution, President Chirac took his "vote
yes" message directly to the people last night, April 14, in
a live prime-time television broadcast. The event was
arranged by the President's long-time media advisor and
youngest daughter, Claude Chirac, and was billed as a
"pedagogical debate" with 80 high school and college
students. Critics claimed Claude Chirac's orchestration of
the affair as "spectacle politics" ensured that only softball
questions would be asked of the President. In fact,
questions focused on participants' apprehensions about future
employment, education reforms, etc. and other very domestic
concerns -- a wide range of matters largely unrelated to the
proposed Constitution.

PROTECTING THE SOCIAL MODEL
---------------------------
3. (SBU) Chirac opened the evening by stating that the defeat
of the EU Constitution in a May 29 referendum would isolate
France and weaken its influence within Europe. "If France
doesn't adopt it," Chirac said, "for a while we would cease
to exist politically. You'll have 24 countries voting yes
and the black sheep (France) blocking everything." Seeking
to convince undecided and center-left voters that they should
vote in favor of the proposed constitution, Chirac repeatedly
emphasized that it would act as a rampart against the
"ultraliberal Anglo-Saxon model." He extended this line of
argument -- to address concerns that the constitution would
represent a step backward for social rights and protections
-- by defending the treaty as a "humanist" model of
capitalism, in contrast with the "model followed" in
countries such as the U.S. and U.K. Asked by one student to
explain why unemployment in the U.K. was lower than in
France, Chirac replied that Britain had social regulations
that would not be acceptable to the French.

MISREPRESENTING THE U.S. POSITION ON EUROPE
-------------------------------------------
4. (SBU) In a notable exchange, Chirac asserted the U.S.
would prefer to see France reject the proposed treaty since
that would result in a weaker Europe. In doing so, Chirac
went further than Socialist Party officials who have
encouraged a yes vote as a means of creating a stronger
Europe "able to stand up to the U.S." In answer to a
question about the consequences of voting no, Chirac said:
"...what can we say is the interest of Anglo-Saxon nations,
and primarily the United States? It is naturally that we put
a stop to the European construction which risks creating
tomorrow a much stronger Europe." Asked by a commentator
whether this implied that the U.S. "would be pleased with a
no vote," Chirac replied "absolutely."
COMMENT
5. (SBU) This event did not play to Chirac's strengths. The
confused, all-over-the-place nature of the questioning he got
from the students -- who by their own admission knew little
about the constitution -- made his own presentation seem to
lack focus. Whatever his and his supporter's conception of
the encounter may have been, in the event it was not the
silver bullet the yes side had hoped for. Perhaps this
explains why Chirac succumbed to the demagogic temptation to
claim his opponents were in effect serving inimical U.S.
interests. An editorial in France's leading center-right
newspaper summed up Chirac's performance as a "missed
opportunity." Opponents of the constitution, visibly tickled
by Chirac's difficulties, appear to agree. END COMMENT.

LEACH

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