But he reasserted his vision of an “historically inevitable, multipolar” world in which Europe would counterbalance the United States.
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He recalled the Franco-British summit at Le Touquet on the eve of the Iraq War last year. “I said then to Tony Blair: ‘We have different positions on Iraq. Your position should at least have some use. That is to try to obtain in exchange a relaunch of the peace process in the Middle East . . . You absolutely have to obtain something in exchange for your support. Well, Britain gave its support but I did not see much in return. I am not sure that it is in the nature of our American friends at the moment to return favours systematically."

“The evolution of the world towards a multipolar situation is inevitable. That is part of the evolution of human history,” he said. “In consequence there will be a great American pole, a great European pole, a Chinese one, an Indian one, eventually a south American pole. These great poles have to live together.”

He recalled negotiating Britain’s entry to the European Community when he served as Agriculture Minister in the early 1970s. He still felt bad because he had made very insulting remarks in French about the British minister then, believing that he did not speak the language. He later found out that he spoke it perfectly. “I thought, that’s a real example of British hypocrisy, hiding for two years that he spoke French!”

- posted by Jean @ 5:32 AM |