As you should know by now, I am an unashamed Francophile. I make no excuses for having good taste. After the glamorous wedding I couldn't resist stopping off in Paris for a few days chez Millicent Tendency, who lives in the “red belt”, the ring of left-wing boroughs around the periphery of Paris. Not that you would know. The French invented caviar socialism. When I lived there, I was always impressed by the savoir-faire of the lower orders. My concierge drank better champagne than was served at the Ambassador's functions, and happily voted for the Communist Party, which still enjoyed a grudging respect due to their fierce resistance to the Nazis during the war. Despite a negligible membership, the French Communists still put on one of the best street parties each September with the Fete de l'Humanite, where the top French bands fall over each other to top the bill, seeing no conflict between supporting the ideals of the left and being resident in Monaco for tax purposes. Lobster and foie gras are not just for the wealthy over that side of the Channel, and it is considered totally naff to take one's lunch to work in a Tupperware box, however hard-up you are. Lunch is the reason you go to the office. Ritual and tradition still rule in France, and the result is a nation of mostly well-mannered citizens with the most enviable lifestyle in the world. The only difference between the rich and the poor in France is how much money they've got.
This is a far more healthy attitude to class differences than is the case in the UK. Rather than whinge and moan about the rich and their high-rolling lifestyle, French workers treat themselves to 5-star campsites on the Cote d'Azur and eat and drink just as well in the backstreet estaminets of Cannes as “le peepol” in their swanky hotels. Better still, they can sing at the tops of their voices on the way home and even fall over drunk with no fear of ending up on the front page of Allo Allo magazine. A French working-class hero is something to be.
Most western countries' authorities believe in giving the people what they want. In the case of the UK it is mindless TV, even more mindless newspapers, and unlimited means to indebt and ruin themselves. In France it means allowing them to gorge themselves on fabulous food, drink sublime wines, and smoke themselves and each other to an early grave. I was amused to see people still puffing away on fags in Parisian restaurants, when it has been banned in Belgium, Italy, Spain, the UK and Ireland. I have long believed that France is the ideal place to retire, and am on the lookout for a suitable place to hang up my pearls when the time comes. The Alps look highly appealing, and the perfect excuse to buy a 4x4 (hybrid of course). I could just see myself in a pinafore (although frankly my current wardrobe owes more to the Baroness) twirling around on the top of the mountain and bursting into song:
16 comments:
I read a news-article recently according to which, the French may not be able to resist globalisation (read Americanisation) for too long, on account of the current state of the French economy.
I wonder what Antoine de Caunes has to say about this. I always think of him when anyone mentions the French. I think he can be trusted to tell the truth rather than dissemble and gesticulate in that Gallic way. Jeremy Clarkson certainly agrees with you, Lady Daphne, but surely one can have many loves in life. I thought you had recently grown quite fond of the city of your birth.
Sidhu Sahib, the French economy is indeed up ze creek, but you would never know it. Their public services are still working perfectly, the restaurants are full, and "tout va pour le mieux dans le meilleur des mondes possibles". (Voltaire).
GB, "He who has grown tired of London is tired of life." (Dr Johnson). London and Paris are my two favourite cities. Luckily I live within a Eurostar journey of both.
Yes, the French do have style and that's why half of Algeria followed them after independence.
I think you've fallen in love with the Alps. I, personellement would retire to the Med any day. Mountain air makes me dizzy!
Good to hear someone sticking up for the French for a change.
Poor Julie- it's so sad that she can't sing anymore.
Not to be outdone: 'L'Angleterre est une nation de boutiquiers' Napoleon 1
Don't worry about the French economy being dans le merde. The British will simply give up their EU rebate to bail them out. They won't mind working until they are 70 to prop up their politically corrupt and morally bankrupt neighbours. After all, that's why they signed up in the first place.
As for the food, some towns haven't even got a McDonald's or a Burger King!
Having said all that, I have thoroughly enjoyed the times I have spent in France, and I still have a bit of a crush on Vanessa Paradise.
Someone once told me that the UK takes more out of the EU budget than France does. Can anyone corroborate or otherwise? Erm, yes, it was a Frenchman who told me.
According to the website of the European Commission, your French informant was mistaken. In 2005, France received about 13.5 billion Euro (10 billion of which goes to "Agriculture"), which was 14.2% of the total expenditure. The UK received just under 9 billion Euro (9% of the total).
In the same year, France paid in 11.4 billion Euro, which is 16.1% of the total budget. The UK (even after taking out the "UK rebate"), paid in 11.9 billion Euro, which is 16.8%.
I have attached a link to the source of these figures - 138 pages of tables and graphs for anyone who might be interested.
I also promise not to post anything this boring again.
Thank god you're here, Lynx, otherwise I might go around believing Frenchmen and not the Daily Mail. Your link did not come through, but don't worry, we believe you.
I guess those figures reflect the fact that Britain is marginally wealthier than France in terms of GDP/GNI? From each according to his means, to each according to his needs, I think that is the rationale behind the way the EU budget is distributed. Of course, the French have more needs than we do.
Still never seen The Sound of Music.
And after that clip I'm certainly in no rush.
Daphne, if you click on my name (in the previous comment) you should get to the pdf document. Germany pays in the most and, judging by the fact that they haven't asked for a rebate, they are obviously happy to fund the extravagant lifestyles of the French (and other Mediterranean) peasants.
Please note that this is my understanding of the figures as they have been presented. They appear to have done their utmost to make it contradictory and confusing. I think that carefully selected figures from this could prove almost anything.
Do the Brits know that you have to apply for EU money, they don't just bring it in a big truck? On the Commission's Agriculture DG staff directory I found 37 named officers (not including support staff) responsible for olive oil !!
Was one of them called 'Popeye'?
At the time of the constitution debacle I checked the books too, UK has been a net contributor for about 15 years, France has been a parasite for a little longer. I think it's ridiculous that French still aren't contributing with the likes of Estonia and Hungary in the Union.
Nevertheless, I agree about French dinner, it's been a couple of months but whenever I go out for dinner here I want to bang on the table and shout "will everyone slow down for god's sake! It's not a race to the finish!"
daphlett, love, you've really captured that je ne sais quoi of the french. they are so civiled! i so hope they can resist americanization. i can hardly wait to get to paris this winter and eat!!! bissous, mme chapeau
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