A Country in Search of Grandeur

Grandeur:

1. The quality or condition of being grand; magnificence: "The world is charged with the grandeur of God" (Gerard Manley Hopkins).

2. Nobility or greatness of character.  (http://www.thefreedictionary.com/grandeur)

As I was raised in the French speaking part of my country, I had to study French history and culture in elementary and secondary schools. I also lived about 10  minutes from the French border which we could easily cross as Swiss citizens 50 years ago. Even today, it is just a perfunctory process as long as the agents see a passport belonging to Switzerland or to any of the European Union members.

After reading French literature in high school, I became convinced that the notion of "grandeur" was an essential component of French culture and government. The highest point in France's history was reached in 1804 when Napoleon was crowned emperor. It is sufficient to see his painting by Jacques-Louis David to understand how much the notion of "grandeur" was etched in the psyche of every French citizen.

The hidden right hand is not the result of a deformity, but rather the imperious signal that "I am in power and France is the greatest country in the world." He also said without blushing:

"France has more need of me than I have need of France."

An expression which clearly indicates that the grandeur of France was in his hands. Another quote involved the greatest and ironically the tallest emperor in the Middle Ages:

"I am the successor, not of Louis XVI, but of Charlemagne."

The word "charlemagne" of course means Charles the Great and Napoleon chose wisely not to compare himself with Louis XVI, a weak man who ruined his country through his incompetence.

Today, Francois Sarkozy is struggling to make his country a significant player in NATO and the European Union; he is concerned that Germany is always considered the economic powerhouse in Europe, while France clearly occupies the second place. Old and traditional enemies throughout the 20th century (England was the hated opponent in the 19th century and before), these two countries are now the main engine of the E.U. The French speak proudly of the "force de frappe" or military might they can unleash on any adversary; it includes nuclear weapons of various types, a by-product of their multiple nuclear plants which provide 70% of that country's electrical needs.

Let's remember that de Gaulle, the general who fought the Nazis from London, is credited as the savior of post-war France; he brought order and discipline to national politics, and kicked the American military from their French bases in addition to pulling his country out of NATO. He is the emblem of France's Grandeur and was passionately convinced that his country would once more emulate the Napoleonic dreams of a French empire.

                                                                       

 

 

It is therefore understandable that Francois Sarkozy, the current President, jumped at the opportunity to show French military might by leading the charge to help Lybian rebels.

  French Rafale fighter jet

But Sarkozy knows very well that his nation, by itself, cannot embark on costly military or space ventures; these are too expensive for one country, which is why France and England, now somewhat more friendly to each other, were able to build the first and only SST (Supersonic plane). Nowadays, France has the largest space program budget among members of the E.U., at 1.7 billion euros a year; its operations take place on a Caribbean island, La Guyane, formerly a penal colony. If somehow Paris is successful in launching its own space exploration, albeit with help from other European countries, it will be seen as a world leader and maybe, just maybe, it may recover its lost grandeur.

United Europe?

When I was a kid living in Switzerland, my family used to go to nearby French towns on week-ends and during summer vacations; we enjoyed the added value of our Swiss Francs which were always quite welcome among the French businesses. We could buy more because our currency was stronger, a situation that is very similar to the relation between the Mexican peso and the U.S. dollar even today.

Alas! The European Union was born and with it, the Euro, a currency that is used by 17 countries, including of course France, Italy and Spain, three favorite destinations of yesteryear which used to have much lower prices and cost of living. The Union of 27 countries took place in 1993, although various attempts were made much earlier. The Euro itself became a common currency in 2002.



As some countries are showing the tendency to go bankrupt, many voices are expressing the desire to return to their national currency; Greece, Ireland, Italy, Portugal among the larger members are having trouble making ends meet and the richer nations such as Germany and France are trying desperately to find a way out of the financial impasse. The main culprit is the euro, as the nations in trouble cannot simply devalue their currency and print more money. Denmark, Sweden and England among others refused to adopt the euro, and, as such, are not affected by the banking crisis in the rest of Europe. Switzerland, not a member although it has strong ties with the E.U., has seen its currency rise to the top as one of the strongest in the world. That causes a serious problem for exports as its goods are much more expensive.

The euro will not survive the pressure in my humble opinion, making way for national currencies once again; a country's sovereignty is partly based on the coins and paper money emitted by the respective national central
banks. They can control inflation, deflation, and financial needs without consulting with other countries. The European Central Bank (ECB) was established in Frankfurt, Germany to coordinate the needs of 17 countries. It has obviously not done its job efficiently and perhaps that is too much to ask. Individual governments still make their own decisions on budget matters, sometimes in a foolish manner by funding excessive benefits for their welfare programs. The ECB cannot solve their financial problems nor can it force them to embrace austerity plans. The result is what we see today, a cacophony of mutual accusations that are sinking the European stock markets and endangering the stability of their banks.

The initial shows of unity in the European Union have given way to the rise of nationalistic movements which demand a return to full sovereignty, including national currencies. The original concept was designed to eliminate once and for all the threat of war among European nations after two global conflicts.

It doesn't seem that the dream will perdure, unfortunately.