French-American diplomacy - still too early to call them French fries

Author: Caroline Vial







After the visit of U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice to France in February, which was followed by President George W. Bush's self-described working dinner with French President Jacques Chirac on Feb. 21 and the liberation of the last French prisoners detained in Guantanamo Bay, Paris and Washington appear to have reached a more positive climate in a relationship with a seemingly ceaseless "piquant." Yet, The Courrier International, a reputable European newspaper, claims that from the perspective of Poland - a European and Atlanticist country - the recently appeased diplomatic status between France and the United States remains but a show.

"Condi" - as the chief of French diplomacy Michel Barnier amicably refers to the U.S. Secretary of State - chose Paris to hold the conference on America's new world politics. In her exposition, Rice, unlike Bush, spoke of the European Union (E.U.) as an indispensable partner to the United States in its establishment of a new world order. She also spoke of her historic affiliation with France, yet "did not discuss any concrete points," revealed the Courrier International.

On Feb. 21, Bush and Chirac discussed the shared priorities between the two nations - from securing Afghanistan and Haiti to responding to December's devastating tsunami in Asia and fighting terrorism.

"Despite the public display of bonhomie, tensions remain," wrote British journalist Adam Entous. According to Entous, the two nations find many issues over which to disagree "from how to deal with Iran's nuclear programme to whether the E.U. should serve as a counter-balance to U.S. dominance."

The diplomatic effort to ease the ongoing discordance between French and American views on the war in Iraq seemed apparent - in response to whether relations were now good enough for Bush to invite Chirac to his ranch in Crawford, Texas - an honor which Bush bestows on his closest allies- - Bush said, "I'm looking for a good cowboy."

From the Polish perspective, Franco-American relations have improved in that France no longer criticizes the American and Polish presence in Iraq. France is not ready, however, to send their own soldiers. "France is still not in agreement with a uni-polar vision of the world," claimed Polish journalist Grzegorz Dobiecki.

"There are several signs of calming down," observed the International Herald Tribune, which stated that last year, certain members of the House of Representatives accepted an offer to join senators as part of a group dedicated to bettering the communication between Paris and Washington.

One undeniable subject of agreement between France and America seems directly related to food. One enthusiastic Francophile revealed to the International Herald Tribune, "As soon as it has to do with food, Americans always adore France. We feasted on truffles, pâtés and champagne during the holidays. And the foie gras [a delicacy of fattened duck liver] defied the elevated state of the Euro and the obstacles to importation."

Washington, D.C. opened the festival "Paris on the Potomac" in February, celebrating France's influence on the creation of the nation's capital. The festival included "gastronomy, art and music and a presentation of Pierre L'Enfant, the architect who designed D.C.'s city plans," reported The Independent.

The British publication denounces the rapid change in sentiments as a surprising yet positive turn of events. "In the summer of 2003, the French embassy felt so attacked that the embassador Jean-David Levitte wrote a letter to complain about the campaign of misinformation which came from certain elements of the White House. Today, the embassy sponsors French jazz and cabaret shows all over the city and at the French Film Festival," The Independent noted.

As the Orlando Sentinel affirmed, "French fries are back - at least as long as the 'diplomatic honeymoon' continues."