Cablegate: Media Reaction Report - Europe: May 5 Uk Elections

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 003021

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 - EUROPE: MAY 5 UK ELECTIONS
TRANSATLANTIC RELATIONS
PARIS - PARIS - WEDNESDAY, MAY 04, 2005

(A) SUBJECTS COVERED IN TODAY'S REPORT:

1. EUROPE: MAY 5 UK ELECTIONS
2. TRANSATLANTIC RELATIONS

B) SUMMARY OF COVERAGE:

TODAY'S HEADLINES ARE FOR THE MOST PART DEVOTED TO TONY BLAIR
AND HIS "PROBABLE RE-ELECTION" (LE FIGARO). IN HIS EDITORIAL
PIERRE ROUSSELIN WRITES ABOUT A "HISTORIC THIRD MANDATE" FOR
BLAIR. INSIDE, A REPORT BY JACQUES DUPLUOICH IS TITLED: "BLAIR
TORN BETWEEN EUROPE AND THE U.S." (SEE PART C) CATHOLIC LA
CROIX HEADLINES "TONY BLAIR: HEADING FOR A WIN" WHILE
COMMUNIST L'HUMANITE HEADLINES: "TONY BLAIR: THE IRON MAN."

U.S. TRADE REPRESENTATIVE ROBERT PORTMAN IS PORTRAYED BY
GILLES BIASSETTE IN CATHOLIC LA CROIX: "PROMOTING FREE TRADE
IN THE U.S. AS WELL AS IN EUROPE HAS BECOME A DIFFICULT TASK.
BUT PORTMAN'S POLITICAL EXPERIENCE IN THE U.S. AND HIS
KNOWLEDGE OF HOW CONGRESS WORKS WILL BE USEFUL. BECAUSE
NEGOTIATING FREE TRADE IS ALSO NEGOTIATING WITH LOCALLY
ELECTED POLITICIANS. BESIDES TRADE CONFLICTS WITH CHINA,
PORTMAN WILL BE DEALING WITH BRUSSELS OVER AIRLINE SUBSIDIES.
ON MONDAY, ALONGSIDE HIS EUROPEAN COUNTERPART, PORTMAN
REITERATED THAT `A NEGOTIATED SOLUTION REMAINS THE PREFERRED
OPTION' IN THE AIRBUS-BOEING ISSUE."

PRESIDENT CHIRAC'S TELEVISED INTERVIEW LAST EVENING TO PROMOTE
THE `YES' FOR THE EU REFERENDUM IS WIDELY REPORTED.
COMMENTATORS CALL HIS INTERVENTION "A REMEDIAL LESSON" AIMED
AT CORRECTING THE NEGATIVE IMPACT MADE BY HIS PREVIOUS
TELEVISED "SHOW" WITH 80 YOUNG PEOPLE IN APRIL. HIS
AFFIRMATION THAT "ITER WILL BE BUILT IN FRANCE" IS REPORTED ON
THE FRONT PAGE OF ECONOMIC LES ECHOS. IN RIGHT-OF-CENTER LE
PARISIEN JEAN DARRIULAT COMMENTS: "IT WOULD APPEAR THAT THE
EUROPEANS' PERSEVERANCE IS PAYING OFF. NOT ONLY FINANCIALLY,
BUT POLITICALLY. AFTER PRESIDENT BUSH'S RE-ELECTION, AND HIS
DESIRE TO FIX RELATIONS WITH THE EUROPEANS AFTER THE IRAQI
HORNETS' NEST, THE AMERICANS MADE IT KNOWN THAT THEY NO LONGER
HAD A PREFERENCE FOR THE SITE AND WISHED FOR AN AGREEMENT TO
BE REACHED BETWEEN THE EUROPEANS AND THE JAPANESE."

RIGHT-OF-CENTER LE FIGARO CARRIES AN OP-ED BY FORMER NEWSWEEK
PARIS BUREAU CHIEF TED STANGER ON PRESIDENT CHIRAC AND
TRANSATLANTIC RELATIONS. (SEE PART C)

ALEXANDRE ADLER WRITES A COLUMN IN LE FIGARO TITLED "BUSH,
HISTORY AND ITS CHOICES." HE DEFINES THE STATE OF THE WORLD
TODAY, PRESIDENT BUSH'S SUCCESSES IN THE MIDDLE EAST (IRAQ'S
NEW GOVERNMENT, LEBANON, LIBYA'S DISARMING, PAKISTAN AND
INDIA'S NEW DIALOGUE) BUT ALSO IRAN'S NUCLEAR TEMPTATIONS AND
THE OPTIONS OPEN TO PRESIDENT BUSH. (SEE PART C)

(C) SUPPORTING TEXT/BLOCK QUOTES:

EUROPE: MAY 5 UK ELECTIONS

"BLAIR TORN BETWEEN EUROPE AND THE U.S"
JACQUES DUPLOUICH IN RIGHT-OF-CENTER LE FIGARO (05/04):
"BEYOND THE WAR IN IRAQ AND THE ISSUE OF ITS LEGITIMACY, WHAT
TRANSPIRED WAS THE NATURE OF TONY BLAIR'S FOREIGN POLICY, IN
RELATION TO WASHINGTON, EUROPE AND THE MIDDLE EAST. WHILE
EUROPE IS ESSENTIAL IN BLAIR'S EYES, THE U.S. IS JUST AS
IMPORTANT. THIS IS WHY HE HAS SUGGESTED HE SERVE AS A `BRIDGE'
BETWEEN THE OLD AND THE NEW CONTINENT. HE CANNOT AND DOES NOT
WANT TO CHOOSE, BECAUSE GREAT BRITAIN'S VOCATION IS TO BE BOTH
EUROPEAN AND ATLANTICIST. TONY BLAIR HAS DEFINED THREE
OBJECTIVES RESULTING FROM THIS POSTULATE: TO ANCHOR GREAT
BRITAIN AT THE CORE OF AN ENLARGED EUROPEAN UNION, TO RE-
INSTATE ITS STRATEGIC INFLUENCE. AND TO PARTICIPATE IN
EXPANDING POLITICAL AND ECONOMIC LIBERTIES BY FAVORING
DEMOCRATIC EXPANSION THROUGH THE FIGHT AGAINST POVERTY. BUT
SOME SEE BLAIR AS THE `TROJAN MULE' OF U.S. INTERESTS ON THE
OLD CONTINENT."
TRANSATLANTIC RELATIONS

"CHIRAC IN THE MIDST OF A TRANSATLANTIC TEMPEST"
TED STANGER IN RIGHT-OF-CENTER LE FIGARO (05/04): "FOR OVER
TWO CENTURIES FRANCO-AMERICAN RELATIONS WERE BASED ON A VERY
USEFUL HYPOCRISY: THE TWO COUNTRIES WERE SUPPOSED TO BE
FRIENDS. CHIRAC AND BUSH HAVE TOGETHER DISPELLED THIS
ILLUSION. THE TRUTH IS THAT WE ARE NO LONGER EVEN FALSE
FRIENDS. CHIRAC IS ONLY SUPERFICIALLY INTERESTED IN THE
ATTEMPTS TO IMPROVE RELATIONS BETWEEN PARIS AND WASHINGTON.
THE RAPPROCHEMENT ATTEMPTS ARE MORE VIRTUAL THAN REAL, WITH
THE LESS THAN CONVINCING VISIT TO PARIS BY SECRETARY OF SATE
RICE AND PRESIDENT BUSH'S TRIP TO BRUSSELS, WHERE HE AND
CHIRAC MANAGED TO NEVER LOOK EACH OTHER IN THE EYE. IN SPITE
OF FRANCE'S NUCLEAR ABILITY, IT STILL NEEDS WASHINGTON AS A
MILITARY ALLY. THIS TRUTH IS EVEN GREATER TODAY THAN 50 YEARS
AGO. FRANCE'S STANCE ON IRAQ HAS NOT PROTECTED IT FROM
TERRORISM AND HOSTAGE TAKING. WHAT BETTER ALLY TO PROTECT
FRANCE IS THERE THAN THE U.S.? BUT THE MONTHS AND YEARS TO
COME ARE NOT PROMISING ONES FOR THE FRANCE-AMERICA DUO. WHILE
BARNIER WAS ABLE TO PLAY THINGS DOWN WITH WASHINGTON,
WASHINGTON IS AFRAID THAT DE VILLEPIN'S POSSIBLE NOMINATION AS
PRIME MINISTER COULD TRIGGER A NEW CONFRONTATION. BETWEEN
FRANCE AND THE U.S. THAT WOULD BE AS FRUITLESS AS THE LAST
ONE. IT IS NOT EASY FOR CHIRAC TO DEAL WITH THE AMERICAN
SUPERPOWER, ESPECIALLY SINCE BUSH'S ARRIVAL AT THE WHITE
HOUSE. UNFORTUNATELY, IS PROBABLY ALREADY TOO LATE FOR CHIRAC
TO LINK UP WITH THE OLD TRADITION OF FRENCH DIPLOMACY WHEN
FRENCH LEADERS WERE ABLE TO DISCREETLY GIVE ADVICE TO THE MAN
IN THE WHITE HOUSE."

"BUSH AND THE HESITATIONS OF HISTORY"
ALEXANDRE ADLER IN RIGHT-OF-CENTER LE FIGARO (05/04):
"PRESIDENT BUSH CAN BE PROUD OF HIS ACHIEVEMENTS IN THE MIDDLE
EAST. EVEN IF DARK SPOTS REMAIN. BUT IRAN'S NUCLEAR
ASPIRATIONS REPRESENT A DIFFICULT CRISIS THAT NEEDS TO BE
ADDRESSED. MILITARILY SPEAKING, THE AMERICANS DO NOT POSSESS A
CAPABILITY OF DETERRENCE VIS-A-VIS THEIR IRANIAN ADVERSARY AND
PARTNER. THE BUSH ADMINISTRATION MUST MAKE A CHOICE IT HAS NOT
PREPARED FOR. JUST AS IT MUST MAKE A CHOICE IN ITS TRADE
RELATIONS WITH CHINA. IN LATIN AMERICA A DANGEROUS PHENOMENON
IS BREWING. SECRETARY RICES' RECENT TRIP WAS AN ATTEMPT TO
CONJURE THE TEMPEST. BUT A CONFRONTATION WITH VENEZUELA SEEMS
TO BE IN THE WORKS. THE CHOICES FACING THE U.S. REMAIN IN THE
REALM OF THE POSSIBLE EVEN IF THEY ARE PAINFUL CHOICES,
BECAUSE THEY ARE IN OPPOSITION TO BUSH'S BASIC IDEOLOGY. BUT
IF THE U.S. PRESIDENT, WITH THE HELP OF CONDOLEEZZA RICE,
MANAGES TO SEPARATE THE ISSUES IN LATIN AMERICA, TO HELP IRAN
FIND AN OUT FROM THE ISLAMIC REVOLUTION AND HELP CHINA IN ITS
TRANSITION. THEN THE PRECIOUS ACHIEVEMENTS REACHED THANKS TO
THE PRESIDENT'S POLITICAL AND MILITARY COURAGE WILL BE
PRESERVED. IF NOT, TODAY'S GLOBALIZATION IS PAVING THE WAY TO
FRIGHTENING STORMS." ROSENBLATT

© Scoop Media