MEDIA REACTION REPORT - TRANSATLANTIC RELATIONS: TONY

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 PARIS 003965

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 - TRANSATLANTIC RELATIONS: TONY
BLAIR IN WASHINGTON, A/S FRIED IN PARIS
PARIS - WEDNESDAY, JUNE 08, 2005


(A) SUBJECTS COVERED IN TODAY'S REPORT:

TRANSATLANTIC RELATIONS: TONY BLAIR IN WASHINGTON, A/S FRIED
IN PARIS

(B) SUMMARY OF COVERAGE:

THE NEWLY APPOINTED PRIME MINISTER DOMINIQUE DE VILLEPIN, WHO
WILL BE MAKING A SPEECH THIS AFTERNOON OUTLINING HIS POLITICAL
STRATEGY, HAS COMMITTED TO IMPROVING THE ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL
SITUATION, PARTICULARLY UNEMPLOYMENT, WITHIN ONE HUNDRED DAYS.
THE MAJORITY OF HEADLINES QUESTION "WHAT CAN DE VILLEPIN DO IN
ONE HUNDRED DAYS?" (CATHOLIC LA CROIX) POPULAR RIGHT-OF-CENTER
LE PARISIEN PUBLISHES A POLL SHOWING EIGHT OUT OF TEN FRENCH
PEOPLE DOUBT THAT DE VILLEPIN WILL BE ABLE TO MAKE GOOD ON HIS
PROMISES WITHIN THIS PERIOD.

THE EDITORIAL IN ECONOMIC DAILY LES ECHOS DRAWS A PARALLEL
BETWEEN DOMINIQUE DE VILLEPIN AND GENERAL MOTORS CEO RICK
WAGONER. EDITORIALIST PATRICK LAMM SUGGESTS THAT: "IN FRANCE,
LIKE IN THE U.S., NOTHING CAN BE DONE WITHOUT THE BLESSING OF
THE UNIONS. IN ORDER TO FIGHT UNEMPLOYMENT HERE AND IN ORDER
TO INCREASE COMPETITIVENESS OVER THERE. GM'S CEO INTENDS TO
ANNOUNCE A MASSIVE DOWNSIZING THAT HERE WOULD HAVE CAUSED A
HUGE OUTCRY. THE FACT IS THAT THE AMERICAN ECONOMY CREATES
MORE JOBS THAN IT DOES AWAY WITH WHICH POINTS TO A DEGREE OF
OPTIMISM AND DYNAMISM THAT WE IN FRANCE HAVE NO IDEA OF."

AMONG INTERNATIONAL STORIES, TONY BLAIR'S VISIT TO WASHINGTON
GETS PROMINENT COVERAGE. ON STATE-RUN FRANCE INTER RADIO LAST
NIGHT DOMINIQUE BROMBERGER COMMENTED: "TONY BLAIR IS TAKING
ADVANTAGE OF THE `NO' OF MAY 29 AND WHILE EUROPE IS IN PIECES.
HE IS THE GUEST OF HONOR AT THE WHITE HOUSE." (SEE PART C)

IN A POSITIVE REPORT OF THE VISIT OF ASSISTANT SECRETARY FOR
EUROPEAN AFFAIRS DAN FRIED TO PARIS, RIGHT-OF-CENTER LE
FIGARO'S LUC DE BAROCHEZ CLAIMS THAT WASHINGTON IS TRYING TO
REASSURE PARIS.

(C) SUPPORTING TEXT/BLOCK QUOTES:

TRANSATLANTIC RELATIONS: TONY BLAIR IN WASHINGTON, A/S FRIED
IN PARIS
"IN WASHINGTON, TONY BLAIR IS PREPARING HIS G8"
POLITICAL COMMENTATOR ISABELLE DATH ON PRIVATE RTL RADIO
(06/08): "TONY BLAIR HAS A DIFFICULT TIME AHEAD WITH HIS
EUROPEAN AND AMERICAN PARTNERS. HE WILL BE TAKING ON THE
PRESIDENCY OF THE EU, WHICH WILL NOT BE A SINECURE, AND HE IS
NOT MAKING HIS LIFE ANY EASIER BY CONFRONTING GEORGE BUSH ON
TWO ISSUES THAT ARE NOT REALLY THE LATTER'S CUP OF TEA: AID TO
AFRICA AND CLIMATE CHANGE. YESTERDAY, BEYOND THE SMILES AND
THE CONSOLATION PRIZE OF 674 MILLION DOLLARS IN SUPPLEMENTARY
AID TO AFRICA, WHAT WAS ESPECIALLY OBVIOUS WAS THE RIFT THAT
SEPARATES THE TWO MEN. NOT ON THE CONTENT BUT ON THE FORM.
THERE IS ONE MONTH LEFT [UNTIL THE G8], BUT THE GOING WILL BE
ROUGH. GEORGE BUSH IS NOT INDULGING A WHIM HE IS IMPLEMENTING
THE TRADITIONAL AMERICAN POLICY WITH REGARD TO COOPERATION AND
AID FOR THE THIRD WORLD. THE GOOD NEWS IS THAT BUSH SAID TO
BLAIR LAST NIGHT THAT GLOBAL WARMING IS A REAL PROBLEM! NOT SO
LONG AGO, HE STILL HESITATED TO ADMIT THAT GLOBAL WARMING WAS
A REALITY. HOWEVER, GEORGE BUSH'S TAKE CONTINUES TO BE `LET ME
POLLUTE IN PEACE.' AND SINCE HE DID NOT RATIFY THE KYOTO
PROTOCOL IT WILL BE DIFFICULT TO GET HIM TO DISCUSS POST-
KYOTO, THAT IS TO SAY AFTER 2010."

"THE U.S. MAKES A SMALL GESTURE TOWARDS AFRICA"
NEW YORK CORRESPONDENT FOR CENTRIST BUSINESS-ORIENTED LA
TRIBUNE (06/08): "GEORGE BUSH WANTS NOTHING TO DO WITH THE
BRITISH PRIME MINISTER'S `MARSHALL PLAN' FOR AFRICA. HE DOES
NOT WANT TO HEAR ABOUT IT IN WASHINGTON OR DURING THE G8
SUMMIT IN SCOTLAND. APPARENTLY, THE PHILOSOPHY IS NOT THE SAME
FOR ALL INDUSTRIALIZED COUNTRIES. SOME DO NOT HESITATE TO
GRANT AID WHEN FACED WITH CRITICAL SITUATIONS AND OTHERS WILL
ONLY GIVE ON CERTAIN CONDITIONS."
"GEORGE BUSH HALFHEARTEDLY SUPPORTS TONY BLAIR"
IN ECONOMIC LES ECHOS, NICOLAS MADELAINE (06/08): "THE BRITISH
PRIME MINISTER HAS ABANDONED THE IDEA OF TRYING TO CHANGE
GEORGE BUSH'S MIND ON THE IFF [INTERNATIONAL FINANCE FACILITY]
BUT HE CONTINUES TO BELIEVE THAT HE WILL BE ABLE TO SWAY THE
AMERICAN PRESIDENT ON THE ISSUE OF CLIMATE CHANGE. IT APPEARS
THAT HIS TRIP TO WASHINGTON WILL NOT PRODUCE THE RESULTS HE
HOPED FOR IN ORDER TO MOTIVATE THE OTHER G7 COUNTRIES TO DO
MORE FOR AFRICA DURING THE UPCOMING SUMMIT IN SCOTLAND."

"TONY BLAIR MAKING A PLEA FOR AFRICA IN WASHINGTON"
IN CATHOLIC LA CROIX, PIERRE COCHEZ WRITES (06/08) "SINCE THE
BEGINNING OF HIS SECOND TERM IN OFFICE, GEORGE BUSH HAS NOT
YET MADE CLEAR WHAT HE INTENDS TO DO TO INCREASE AID FOR
DEVELOPMENT. HE WILL NO DOUBT TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THE VISIT OF
ONE OF HIS CLOSEST ALLIES ON THE INTERNATIONAL SCENE IN ORDER
TO ANNOUNCE THAT THE U.S. WILL GRANT AN EXTRA 548 MILLION
EUROS IN AID TO AFRICA ON TOP OF THE 1.2 BILLION THE U.S. HAS
ALREADY PLEDGED TO THE UN FOR AFRICA. IF THIS AID PACKAGE IS
EVALUATED WITH REGARD TO THE ECONOMIC LEVELS OF THE RICHEST
COUNTRIES, AMERICAN CONTRIBUTIONS GREATLY SURPASS OTHER
INDUSTRIALIZED NATIONS IN TERMS OF ABSOLUTE VALUE."

"THE U.S. SUPPORTS A STRONG EUROPE"
LUC DE BAROCHEZ IN RIGHT-OF-CENTER LE FIGARO (06/08): "BY
SENDING AN ENVOY TO TELL FRENCH GOVERNMENT LEADERS THAT THE
U.S. IS FAR FROM OVERJOYED AT THE TRIBULATIONS THAT HAVE
BEFALLEN THE RATIFICATION OF THE EUROPEAN CONSTITUTION. [THE
U.S.] IS CONVEYING ITS DESIRE TO SEE A STRONG EUROPE BY ITS
SIDE IN THE WORLD. WITHIN THE ADMINISTRATION, DANIEL FRIED IS
PART OF THE `REALIST' TREND THAT HAS REPLACED THE TENDENCY
TOWARDS UNILATERALISM AND THE FEAR OF SEEING A STRONG EUROPE
AS DETRIMENTAL TO THE U.S. IF THE WEAKENING OF THE FRANCO-
GERMAN COUPLE IN EUROPE IS NOT A SUBJECT OF REGRET IN
WASHINGTON, THERE IS A CERTAIN DEGREE OF CONCERN AS TO THE
FUTURE OF EUROPEAN CONSTRUCTION AND NATO." WOLFF