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Cablegate: Media Reaction Report - Eu Referendum - Netherlands'

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

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 PARIS 003809

SIPDIS


DEPT FOR INR/R/MR; IIP/RW; IIP/RNY; BBG/VOA; IIP/WEU; AF/PA;
EUR/WE /P/SP; D/C (MCCOO); EUR/PA; INR/P; INR/EUC; PM; OSC ISA
FOR ILN; NEA; WHITE HOUSE FOR NSC/WEUROPE; DOC FOR ITA/EUR/FR
AND PASS USTR/PA; USINCEUR FOR PAO; NATO/PA; MOSCOW/PA;
ROME/PA; USVIENNA FOR USDEL OSCE.

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: OPRC KMDR FR
SUBJECT: MEDIA REACTION REPORT - EU REFERENDUM - NETHERLANDS'
VOTE - FRENCH CABINET RESHUFFLE AFGHANISTAN
PARIS - THURSDAY, JUNE 02, 2005


(A) SUBJECTS COVERED IN TODAY'S REPORT:

1. EU REFERENDUM - NETHERLANDS' VOTE - FRENCH CABINET
RESHUFFLE
2. AFGHANISTAN

B) SUMMARY OF COVERAGE:

AFTER THE FRENCH "NON," THE DUTCH "NEE" ON THE EU CONSTITUTION
IS ONE OF TODAY'S MAJOR STORIES, (SEE PART C) WHILE FRONT
PAGES ARE OVERWHELMINGLY DEVOTED TO PRIME MINISTER DE
VILLEPIN'S STRATEGY TO COMBAT UNEMPLOYMENT AND THE DIFFICULT
DAYS AHEAD, INFLUENCED BY THE FORCED COHABITATION OF DE
VILLEPIN WITH INTERIOR MINISTER SARKOZY. ACCORDING TO LE
FIGARO, THEY ARE DIAMETRICALLY OPPOSED. THE MORE TRADITIONAL
GAULLIST DE VILLEPIN IS CONTRASTED TO THE MORE MODERN,
`ATLANTICIST' SARKOZY. HIS TRIP TO THE U.S. WHEN HE WAS
INTERIOR MINISTER IS RECALLED AS HAVING BEEN A SUCCESS. (SEE
PART C) IN LE MONDE, A REPORT ON U.S. REACTION TO DE
VILLEPIN'S NOMINATION COMMENTS: "DURING HIS HOUR-LONG PRESS
BRIEFING PRESIDENT BUSH MADE NO MENTION OF THE FRENCH VOTE ON
THE CONSTITUTION AND NOT A SINGLE QUESTION WAS ASKED ON DE
VILLEPIN'S NOMINATION. EUROPE IS NOT A TOPIC WHICH THE
AMERICANS ARE EAGER TO COMMENT ON. LESS THAN A MONTH AFTER
WELCOMING FM BARNIER TO THE WHITE HOUSE, THE AMERICANS ARE
PERPLEXED BY THE CHOICE OF DE VILLEPIN AS PRIME MINISTER, A
PROMOTER OF A `MULTIPOLAR' WORLD, EVEN IF THEY KNOW THE PM'S
PORTFOLIO DOES NOT INCLUDE FOREIGN POLICY."

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COMMENTARY ON CHIRAC'S DECISION TO NOMINATE TWO STRONG
PERSONALITIES TO LEAD THE NATION DOMINATES. LA CROIX SEES
CHIRAC AS THE "UMPIRE" OF THIS TEAM, BUT WONDERS IF "IN NOT
CHOOSING BETWEEN THE TWO, CHIRAC MAY BE RUNNING THE RISK OF
MISSING OUT ON COLLECTING THE ADVANTAGES OF EITHER." DE
VILLEPIN'S TELEVISED ADDRESS LAST EVENING ELICITS COMMENTARY
ABOUT HIS RHETORIC AS OPPOSED TO CONCRETE MEASURES TO DEAL
WITH FRANCE'S UNEMPLOYMENT. (SEE PART C)

IN INTERNATIONAL NEWS, THE ATTACK IN KANDAHAR IS REPORTED AND
AN EDITORIAL IN LA CROIX SUGGESTS THAT "PROGRESS IN
AFGHANISTAN IS STILL TOO SLOW." (SEE PART C)

THE FRENCH CRIMINAL INVESTIGATION INTO THE DETENTION OF TWO
FRENCHMEN IN GUANTANAMO IS REPORTED. LEFT-OF-CENTER LIBERATION
AS WELL AS RIGHT-OF-CENTER LE FIGARO NOTE THAT THIS IS A
"WORLDWIDE FIRST." IN LIBERATION, ONE OF THE DETAINEES'
LAWYERS IS QUOTED: "THE MAGISTRATES WILL TRY TO IDENTIFY THOSE
WHO WERE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE DETENTION CAMP." LIBERATION ALSO
REPORTS: "THE FRENCH JUDGES WILL BE ASKING FOR COOPERATION
FROM THE U.S. THEY MAY WELL BE FACING A STONEWALL IN SPITE OF
THE TREATY FOR JUDICIAL COOPERATION BETWEEN FRANCE AND THE
U.S." RIGHT-OF-CENTER LE FIGARO STARTS ITS REPORT WITH AN
"EXPLOSIVE" QUESTION: "WILL FRENCH JUDGES CONCLUDE THAT THE
U.S. HAS VIOLATED INTERNATIONAL LAW IN AFGHANISTAN AND IN
GUANTANAMO? THIS EXPLOSIVE QUESTION IS AT THE CORE OF THE
INVESTIGATION INTO A COMPLAINT FOR `ILLEGAL ARREST AND
ARBITRARY DETENTION' FILED BY TWO FORMER FRENCH GUANTANAMO
DETAINEES. THE INVESTIGATION IS AS LEGALLY INTRICATE AS IT IS
POLITICALLY SENSITIVE."

THE ECONOMIC PRESS REPORTS EXTENSIVELY ON THE DIFFICULTIES
AIRBUS IS FACING IN ITS TIMELY DELIVERY OF THE A380.
LIBERATION COMMENTS IN AN ARTICLE TITLED: "EADS ON
CATASTROPHIC PILOT." "WITH THE PARIS AIR SHOW TEN DAYS AWAY,
EADS AND ITS MAIN SUBSIDIARY, AIRBUS, ARE GIVING THEMSELVES
THE WORST POSSIBLE AD CAMPAIGN. YESTERDAY, EADS STILL HAD NO
CEO AND AIRBUS WAS FORCED TO ACKNOWLEDGE THAT ITS STAR
FLAGSHIP, THE A380, WOULD NOT BE DELIVERED ON TIME, FORCING
AIRBUS TO PAY PENALTIES. ONE CAN ALREADY HEAR THE SNICKERING
FROM BOEING, WHICH IS FEELING PARTICULARLY STRONG SINCE THE
U.S. DECISION TO GO BEFORE THE WTO."

(C) SUPPORTING TEXT/BLOCK QUOTES:

EU REFERENDUM - NETHERLANDS' VOTE - FRENCH CABINET RESHUFFLE

"A PRESIDENT UMPIRE"
FRANCOIS ERNENWEIN IN CATHOLIC LA CROIX (06/02): "BY FORCING
THE COHABITATION OF TWO SUCH CONTRADICTORY WILLS AND PROJECTS,
AS THOSE OF DE VILLEPIN AND SARKOZY, PRESIDENT CHIRAC SHOWS HE
IS REFUSING TO CHOOSE BETWEEN DE VILLEPIN'S GUARANTEED
CONTINUITY AND SARKOZY'S AVOWED DESIRE FOR A BREAK. BY MIXING
THE TWO, CHIRAC IS RUNNING THE RISK OF DEPRIVING HIMSELF OF
THE ADVANTAGES OF ONE VISION AS WELL AS THE BENEFITS OF THE
OTHER."

"A GAULLIST VISION VERSUS ATLANTICIST BELIEFS"
ISABELLE LASSERRE IN RIGHT-OF-CENTER LE FIGARO (06/02): "DE
VILLEPIN, WHO SPEAKS PERFECT ENGLISH, ANNOYS THE AMERICANS
BECAUSE OF HIS MILITANT SUPPORT FOR A MULTIPOLAR WORLD, AT THE
CENTER OF WHICH EUROPE, BUT MOSTLY FRANCE, WOULD PLAY AN
IMPORTANT ROLE AGAINST THE U.S. CONVERSELY, SARKOZY WHO SPEAKS
A FALTERING ENGLISH, PRESENTS HIMSELF AS A `FRIEND' OF THE
AMERICANS, PUTTING HIS ANGLO-SAXON PRAGMATISM AT THE SERVICE
OF THE TRANSATLANTIC RELATIONSHIP."

"THE SHOCKWAVE OF MAY 29"
PIERRE ROUSSELIN IN RIGHT-OF-CENTER LE FIGARO (06/02): "FRANCE
WILL NOT HAVE STAYED LONG ALONE IN THE CAMP OF THE `NO.' IT
HAS NOW BEEN JOINED BY THE NETHERLANDS, BUT IT IS A MEAGER
CONSOLATION. THIS SECOND REJECTION OF THE EU CONSTITUTION
GIVES THE MEASURE OF THE MAGNITUDE OF THE EUROPEAN CRISIS,
WHICH IS AFFECTING A SMALL COUNTRY WITHOUT ASPIRATIONS OF
BECOMING A MAJOR POWER, WHICH HAS ALWAYS BEEN PRO-ATLANTIC AND
ATTACHED TO THE ANGLO-SAXON LIBERAL MODEL. IN BOTH CASES THE
VOTE INDICATES THERE IS A REJECTION OF A CERTAIN TYPE OF
EUROPE. ITS EXPANSION, AND THE PROSPECT OF TURKEY'S
MEMBERSHIP, EXACERBATE IMMIGRATION ISSUES. WITH TWO SUCCESSIVE
REJECTIONS, THE PROCESS OF RATIFICATION IS SIGNIFICANTLY
THREATENED. THERE IS A STRONG TEMPTATION TO HALT THE PROCESS.
AND TONY BLAIR IS THINKING ABOUT CANCELING THE UK REFERENDUM.
THE CRISIS WHICH STARTED IN FRANCE, AND SPREAD TO THE
NETHERLANDS COULD CONTINUE TO SPREAD, WITH SERIOUS
CONSEQUENCES."

"PLAN B(LAIR)"
PATRICK SABATIER IN LEFT-OF-CENTER LIBERATION (06/02): "THE
MASSIVE DUTCH `NEE' IS A CONTINUATION OF THE DISASTER FILM
WHICH STARTED IN FRANCE. IF THE ROAD TO POLITICAL UNITY IS CUT
OFF, THE ONLY ALTERNATIVE FOR EUROPE MAY BE BLAIR'S PLAN B:
KEEPING THE EUROPEAN UNION AS A FREE-TRADE ZONE WITH AS FEW
REGULATIONS AS POSSIBLE."

"THE EU'S POLITICAL UNITY IS BRAIN DEAD"
JEAN QUATREMER IN LEFT-OF-CENTER LIBERATION (06/02): "BLAIR
HAS A GOLDEN OPPORTUNITY TO IMPOSE HIS LEADERSHIP ON A EUROPE
IN DISARRAY, AND TO TURN INTO TRIUMPH THE BRITISH VISION OF A
VAST AND ORGANIZED FREE-TRADE EUROPE THAT WILL NO LONGER
ASPIRE TO BECOME THE POLITICAL `COUNTERWEIGHT' OF THE U.S. THE
LANDSCAPE IS ONE OF DESOLATION. AFTER THE TWO `NO' VOTES, THE
PROJECT OF A EU TREATY IS BRAIN DEAD, DEPRIVING THE EU OF ANY
ASPIRATION TO POLITICAL UNITY IN THE NEAR FUTURE. THE ATTEMPT
TO BUILD A POLITICAL EUROPE HAVING FAILED, AND WITH THE FRANCO-
GERMAN COUPLE DIMINISHED, BLAIR AND HIS PROBABLE SUCCESSOR,
GORDON BROWN, WILL BE FACING AN OPEN AVENUE TO IMPLEMENT WHAT
THEY WANT MOST: OPEN COMPETITION, DEREGULATION AND FREE
TRADE."

AFGHANISTAN

"SUCH SLOW PROGRESS"
JEAN-CHRISTOPHE PLOQUIN IN CATHOLIC LA CROIX (06/02): "A
COUNTRY THAT HAS BEEN SUBJECTED TO SUCH VIOLENCE FOR SO LONG
CANNOT GET BACK ON ITS FEET OVERNIGHT. THE VIOLENCE THAT IS
ERUPTING ONCE MORE AFTER THE WINTER TRUCE OBEYS A CYCLICAL
SEASONAL RHYTHM. THE TALIBAN ARE ONCE AGAIN DEMONSTRATING
THEIR PRESENCE. AFGHANISTAN APPEARS ONCE AGAIN TO BE EXTREMELY
VULNERABLE TO ALL ATTEMPTS TO DESTABILIZE THE COUNTRY.
PRESIDENT KARZAI ENJOYS THE SUPPORT OF THE U.S. AND NATO IN
THE NORTH AND THE WEST. BUT THE PRESIDENT APPEARS TO BE
POLITICALLY AND MILITARILY STILL TOO WEAK TO TRIGGER THE
COUNTRY'S MODERNIZATION. AFGHANISTAN IS BEING FED
INTRAVENOUSLY AND MANY WINTERS WILL PASS BEFORE PEACE AND
DEVELOPMENT CAN TAKE ROOT." WOLFF

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