I, like many, have chosen to holiday on the continent this year. I say many because France is even more packed with Brits than usual this year. It makes sense: this is the summer to do it, as we literally have no idea whatsoever if we’ll be allowed in without some shitty American-style visa hassle in 2019. Perhaps Southeast Asia will get the traffic next summer.
Being here during the May-Macron “summit” confirms what I would have figured was the French view of both the meeting and Brexit in general. They want their president to be strong and give the Brits a good thrashing. After years of being told the Anglo-Saxons had the shiny torch to the future, it is satisfying for a nation, already basking in the glow of the World Cup many in England thought was coming home for a couple of glorious weeks last month, to have a British prime minister trying to court their president in a bid to save herself. This corresponds with the view of Brexit, which I can summarise like so:
For years, the Brits moaned and complained and held things up, all while getting rebates and opt outs, basically getting everything they ever seemed to want within the EU. Then, they asked for more, got some of it but not all, had a referendum and voted to leave. Apparently, this was caused by immigration from the Eastern European members, ironic given it was the Brits who wanted expansion over French wishes. So, the English can get stuffed. If they want to leave, they should leave with nothing. “No deal” is exactly what we want too. It will hurt the French economy a little, but that will be more than made up for by the fact that the Brits have just decided to destroy theirs, made all the better by the fact that they willing chose to do it to themselves.
Already, the talk is of a post-Brexit future for Europe that will be both united by the horrorshow of Brexit (as a demonstration of how leaving is a bad idea) and freed of British influence, which the French above most others always resented. Parts of the debate around Brexit in France seem to be a Bizzaro world version of what you find in right wing tabloids in Britain: yes, Brexit will hurt, but it will be worth it for the increase in sovereignty. Losing English tourists and/or retirees will be painful to the economy if this tails off after March 2019, but hell, we always felt weird about bits of the country being propped up by aging Brits buying decrepit property anyhow. It will be a chance for self-renewal; something that will force France to be a better version of itself.
The main difference, of course, is this: the French can console themselves that whatever happens with Brexit, it was not something they brought upon themselves.
France will reform itself? How many times have we heard that? How many Presidents have promised that?
This will all make it ver amusing in a few years when a low-tax, low-regulation, low-tariff Britain is sucking up all the global investment money and, indeed, all the successful Frenchwomen and Frenchman who will be fleeing the still-sclorotic, overtaxed, strike-ridden, protectionist French economy.
If the Tories try to implement their vision of an open low-tax, low-regulation, low-tariff libertarian utopia they will be swept away by an explosion of anger from the grassroots leave voters, who thought they were voting for the exact opposite, namely a closed nationalist or socialist country that looks after its native population.
Sorry, I didn’t realise you were a grassroots Leave voter and that’s what you wanted.
I am a centrist remainer strongly opposed to both alternatives mentioned in my previous comment. I think one of the most extraordinary things about Brexit is the way it has brought together people who dislike Brussels, but strongly disagree about almost everything else. It is very probable that the Brexit movement will split as soon the going gets tough. I think the libertarian leavers will then be in a rather weak position. They are enthusiastic, well-organized and rich, but few in number and that will be their undoing. If things get difficult they will be swept away. I am afraid it will not do us centrist remainers much good. I am afraid ordinary leave voters will turn to Jeremy Corbyn or to a new genuinely nationalist and definitely non-libertarian party.
Oh right. But you know loads of grassroots Leave voters, I expect. Most of your friends and family are grassroots Leave voters, right? Certainly you know, and speak to on a regular basis, many more grassroots Leave voters than other centrist remainers like yourself.
MCStyan –
I think that hits the nail on the head to be honest.
If you think about it they could be like the disciples. All it takes is a Judus (see previous comment).
James
I agree with the thrust of your argument, but you’ve got to remember that it is never good to needlessly punish a country and Macron will know that.
You could think of France like Jesus and Britain like Judus. Jesus still showed compassion to Judus. France will, hopefully, still show compassion to us.
James
The last thing Macron needs is a bigger messiah complex!