Britain is leaving the EU – just as Europe is on the up
Natalie NougayrèdeMerkel and Macron are planning for a ‘golden decade’ and won’t let Brexit negotiations derail them
But a couple of politicians planning for a golden decade and a golden decade actually turning up are rather different things, aren’t they?
Malenkov was really quite certain that 1960s Soviet Union was going to be a golden decade. Stalin that the 1930s were in fact one.
Yes, it stands to reason that a bureaucratic and dirigiste imperial project – with a dysfunctional single currency, and porous borders admitting thousands (if not millions) of parasitic migrants – can only thrive and prosper.
Their definition of “golden decade” involves a renewed drive towards a political and fiscal* union with bigger standing on the world stage, so it isn’t the kind of project that the vast majority of Brits want anything to do with.
The article even points out that the mood of the moment is to recreate the spirit of Maastricht and the creation of the euro and to avoid the humiliation of Europe’s failure to project its regional power to prevent the Yugoslav Wars on its borders. What it doesn’t mention is that this was also the mood which triggered a new wave of Euroscepticism in the UK (and if we are honest, in the publics of other countries too, including some of those “driving” the change) which ultimately resulted in Brexit.
* As I understand it, Macron being rather keener than the Germans on fiscal union.
EU aside, Macron is making all the right noises about dragging France into the 21st century. A golden decade is entirely within his reach.
Granny’s boy is just another turd covered in gold-leaf.
Remember Cool Britannia?
“In that dawn what bliss it was to be alive”
Why do fuckwits never learn?
From a quick poll among my friends and colleagues here, I detect enthusiasm for Macron is higher among London’s lefty journalists that it is Frenchmen. 57% have abstained, those who support Macron are hopeful but displaying cautious optimism, a wait-and-see approach. Whereas the likes of Oliver Kamm – who speaks fluent French but has probably never had a conversation with a blue-collar French person in his life – is crowing about how superior the French are than the ignorant, racist Brits who voted for Brexit.
EU aside, Macron is making all the right noises about dragging France into the 21st century. A golden decade is entirely within his reach.
Sarkozy made much the same noises. And an attempt to bring about minor, sensible reforms brought down de Villepin who had far greater stature than Macron. But for all that, I think the French realise they’re in a now-or-never situation, and they need to push these reforms through. But come the first strike, what’s the betting they all talk about “compromise” rather than “do a Thatcher”?
EU aside, Macron is making all the right noises about dragging France into the 21st century. A golden decade is entirely within his reach.
A bit like Cameron first stint as PM. Voted in on a wave of supposed popular policies, with many hoping he would show his true Conservative colours once in power. He loved having Clegg to blame for his leftwards drift, but the spineless git would have stayed left even without a LD fig leaf. My contempt for him and that cock Osbourne grow by the day.
The problem is that we’re rather different to France. We are producing more and more “gravity free” stuff. Dyson, ARM, superhero movies at Pinewood, banking. None of these people see EU customers as better than non-EU customers or necessary. It’s not like being a nectarine grower in Provence who is only going to sell within 500 miles.
I just never get the impression that France is a very go-ahead country. When I read up on some of their better software stuff, it all seems to depend on the government shovelling loads of money in, like Dailymotion or Dassault Systèmes. I use a number of software tools for my job. Small companies based in Prague, Bratislava, Cambridge, Oxford, the USA and Singapore, but I can’t ever remember using a piece of software from France.
Merkel and Macron are planning for a ‘golden decade’
Merkel and Macron have very different ideas about the future of the EU so there’s likely to be a bust up when she starts vetoing his initiatives for reform.
French governments are also famously good at backing down once the people take to the streets as Tim N points out.
Another lost decade is much the most likely upshot.
I can’t ever remember using a piece of software from France.
There is tonnes of it: point of sales technology (in response to high labour costs), things like dating apps. I have a friend working in it, it’s booming: I’ll find out some better examples when I meet her next. Quite a bit of e-commerce software gets done here IIRC. A lot of this flies under the radar in France, let alone abroad.
“Merkel and Macron are planning for a ‘golden decade’ ”
Genuine lol.
Who is this fucking idiot?
Tim Newman,
OK. I suppose it’s just maybe the stuff I do. I use lots of stuff most people have never heard of from all around the world, but I never get anything from France, Spain or Italy.
Well, we’re at the right time of year for planning Golden Decades, indeed, Golden Millennia.
Operation Barbarossa, Sunday 22 June 1941.
Germans are always planning Golden EveryFuckingThing and achieving them only when they stop planning.