Britain And The E.E.C.

Press, Volume CIV, Issue 30919, 27 November 1965, Page 14

Britain And The E.E.C.

The tone, rather than the content, of President de Gaulle’s latest pronouncement on Britain and Europe has attracted attention in Paris, London, and the capitals of the rest of the European Economic Community and of the British Commonwealth. “ A “ certain number of signs ”, said the General, “ indicate that the conditions which in the past “ obstructed Britain’s rapprochement with Europe are “in the process of weakening This is vague enough —and tendentious enough—to be interpreted in several ways. Except, perhaps, in France, the statement is unlikely to be taken at its face value; elsewhere it is generally accepted that the conditions which “in the past obstructed Britain’s rapproche- “ ment with Europe ” were of France’s making. Does the General’s statement mean that France is now prepared to withdraw these obstructions?

The “ European ” faction in British politics and British industry would like to think so; but diplomatic observers in Paris and Brussels are cannily waiting for an earnest of France’s (or General de Gaulle’s) intentions. However the statement is Interpreted, it was assuredly made advisedly, and intended to strike a responsive chord in Europe or across the Atlantic. The General is not given to policies of appeasement, as he showed when he vetoed Britain’s 1961 application for E.E.C. membership; when he insisted, early this year, on exchanging France’s dollar balances for gold; and when he told France’s E E C. partners in June of France’s objections to proceeding to the next stage of the E.E.C. programme. In each of these instances subsequent developments have proved—or at least have not disproved—that the President’s tough line has been to France’s advantage. It would be completely out of character for General de Gaulle to reverse a policy which has hitherto been so successful It would not be inconsistent with his record, however, to make a gesture towards sweet reasonableness. The timing of this latest gesture may be significant: the General descried his “ certain number of signs ” only 11 days before France's presidential election. Not that there are any votes to be picked up in this election by hinting at Britain’s “rapprochement” with Europe; but there might be votes to be lost by a renewal of demands from the Five for the E.E.C.’s advance along the planned course. More simply, the General may hope for a respite from E.E.C., British, and American worries until after the election campaign. If the Anglophiles in Brussels and the Europhiles in London are to make the most of the General’s apparent concession, they will have to move faster than on previous occasions.