Secondritain and France It has a long and intertwined history, including great friendship and unity as well as war and confrontation. This has become apparent after the recent terrorist attacks in our respective countries. As Philip Sidney said in the sonnet of 1591, this relationship can still be described as a “sweet enemy.”
We are twin countries with roughly the same population, similar economies, and the same status on the world stage. We are a permanent member of the UN Security Council and a nuclear country with military projection capabilities. As members of the same international organization, we often hold the same positions and cooperate closely. This spirit of respect and cooperation is particularly strong among the diplomats of our two countries.
Any prejudice and ridicule are mostly friendly or have a sense of humor—just like in 2012, when Boris Johnson David Cameron angered the François Hollande government, saying that they would “roll out the red carpet” for French businessmen who pay high taxes in France.Michel Sapin be rejected: “Frankly, I don’t understand how you can spread the red carpet across the strait. It might get very wet.”
Sadly, I think Brexit has changed all of this-the competition that was once mainly joyous has become sour and unfriendly.
France has repeatedly been accused of wanting to punish Britain for Brexit. France’s position is simple, that is, the decision to withdraw from the European Union makes the United Kingdom a ““Third country“-Not a punishment, but a term defined in the EU treaty, with many legal and regulatory consequences. The French government and public opinion are annoyed by Johnson’s apparent determination to eat his cake.
The implementation of the Northern Ireland Protocol is at the core of the tension. Becoming a third country requires land or sea borders: the purpose is to protect the European internal market. The French may be more outspoken on this issue, but their position is the common position of the EU institutions and all its members, even the Americans. We cannot understand how a negotiated, signed, and declared fantastic agreement is not respected by its core staff. It made people lose their true trust in the British government.
The fisheries dispute in Paris was also seen as a result of Britain’s breach of an agreement with the European Union-which allowed European fishermen to continue working in British waters, provided they had done so before 2016.This is regarded as an act of hostility against Britain, France, because other countries have successfully obtained permits and dozens of French ships Their application was rejectedThey are often small boats without GPS systems. They have been fishing in these waters all their lives, and their livelihoods are threatened. This explains their despair and anger-and some severe actions.
The refugee problem is the most difficult problem. Mary Tudor once said “You will find Calais lying in my heart”, and it is still a place of contention between France and England. Some Britons said that France should withdraw its “immigrants” and accused the French police of incompetence, suggesting that the UK withdraw its financial contributions. This aroused the anger of France: these payments were not out of generosity, but because the French police were effectively guarding the border for the British.
The hostility has become so severe that some candidates for next year’s presidential election suggest Treaty of Le Touquet Border controls should be lifted, stating that if Britain really wants to “take back control of the border,” it can do it on its own land.France has There are more than twice as many asylum seekers Than the UK. People arriving in Calais are often eager to continue to the UK for several reasons: because they speak English and it is easier to find a job, because they have relatives there, and because there is a lack of safe legal means to get through. No matter what new security measures are adopted in the future, asylum seekers will continue to flow in. Once tunnels and ports are blocked, the 150-kilometer coast cannot be controlled.
Paris found it impossible to cooperate seriously with the Johnson administration.Even the solution to the refugee problem annoyed them: Johnson’s letter Emmanuel Macron tweeted to the world in a very Trump-like way, which attracted the attention of the world Comment: “I am surprised when the method is not serious. People will not communicate on these issues through tweets or open letters, from one leader to another. We are not whistleblowers. Come on now.” and At the same time, the French Minister of the Interior, Gérald Darmanin (Gérald Darmanin) criticize Britain’s “double talk”: the constructiveness of holding bilateral talks behind closed doors, and then, a day later, for domestic political reasons, the opposite was made public.
The two leaders of our country have very different visions and personalities. At other times, they might get along well, and the very serious, very European French president might even be amused by someone who once said he would not sacrifice a good joke for the truth. But now the stakes are too high. The British government seems to be fascinated by its largest and nearest neighbor: France can easily become a scapegoat in difficult times.Unfortunately, it takes time before a new one Cordial agreement formed.
