THE FRENCH AWAKEN TO THE DANGER OF GERMAN EUROPE
WITHOUT FIRING A SHOT….

AN INVESTIGATION BY PIERRE HILLARD

Pierre Hillard is the author of "Minorites et Regionalismes en Europe" a French version of the work done in the UK by Rodney Atkinson and Edward Spalton on the old German notion of regionalism as the best method of destroying the nation states. Note that Alsace, French before 1870 and after 1918, has long been a bone of contention between Germany and France.

"Without firing a shot France lost Alsace on 1st January 2003. So what happened? A new Treaty of Frankfurt? An annexation in the tradition of the heyday of imperial conquest? Nothing of the sort. Since the 1st January the regional government of Alsace has been free to deal directly with Brussels, courtesy of a supranational arrangement allowing direct local control of structural funds and eliminating the requirement for endorsement from Paris.

We need to take in the full extent of what is at stake. This small earthquake will slowly but surely spread until it shakes the foundations of our nation state. Structural funds are like a huge outpouring of manna from heaven, channelled through the coffers of the EU. Directly authorised by Brussels the funds apply to agriculture, regional planning, roads, airports etc.

This secession is the result of an agreement signed between one A.Zeller and Prime Minister Raffarin. It is reassuring that Raffarin has given away these powers "as an experiment" (his own words). It suggests that Alsace could at any moment return to the nation if Paris so wished. In reality he is granting to Alsace a freedom which will in effect be irreversible. The other French regions will follow.

Has anybody reported this? Who has understood its implications? And who is there to oppose the process which has been set in train?"

END