Front page éditorial in La Manche Libre, excoriating the " le cynisme, la duplicité et l’opportunisme" of the Brits in detaining an Iranian tanker in the straits of Gibraltar, on the grounds that it was suspected of breaching an EU sanction, doing so without letting the European Union know of its intention to do so, and, according to the Spanish Foreign minister “acting on the orders of the United States”, later described by the White House as “excellent news”.
Since Boris Johnson’s description of the French as “turds” has also been revived in the French media, I seem to notice a distinct chill in the reaction of local people to English people around town, nothing overt, but a discernible froideur. Maybe I’m over-sensitive, but there is a delicate balance that needs to be carefully nurtured, and the news coming out of UK is getting a lot of coverage in the French media, and I’m not sure it’s doing our reputation a lot of good.
Having said that a neighbour just popped in with a basket of cerises blanches from his garden, so there’s still hope, I hope!
Any other signs of disenchantment re l’entente cordiale chez vous?
. That was my laugh out loud moment of the day! Are you entering the understatement of the year prize? The reputation of the UK can hardly sink much lower…
The only positive is that round here people feel sorry for us, and say they now completely understand why we have left our family to live here (leaving family is a difficult concept for neighbours to understand as they would never, ever do it). Mind you do they do take the piss more now, as that had completely stopped a few years back.
It is funny how ‘take back control’-Johnson is bending backwards by firing UK diplomat. Maybe take back control means something else what I thought it means.
Hey Pete,
The French press aren’t in the know or thinking out of the European box!
It wouldn’t surprise me if this was just a training exercise for post Brexit, Great Britain, going back to the traditional values we had back in the day, State run piracy & gun boat diplomacy, The East India Company etc. etc. What else can BoJo fall back-on? Putting the UK on a war budget? After all it’s their fault.
It actually means giving control to the US. At least control of the NHS, control of chickens, control of beef hormones and now control of ambassador selection.
Yes, and all of it because rules/laws made for European countries contain such things BJ finds laughable. Surely he is aware of the infight between states in US? Still, easier to point over to the west than to neighbouring region.
I think he was bending in the opposite direction - but didn’t want to say it or be accused of something else on a different subject posting! Oh, wait a minute I just did, didn’t I?
Naughty, naughty Peter - you know the grammar police are watching out for people like you! One reason I NEVER try to post anything in French - I have enough problems with those in English! Anyway 'er indoors is always only too ready to criticise every action or word, so anything from Survive France is ‘in excess of what is required’!
Hi Peter, no nothing directly at all, but I was disappointed in discovering that some 25% of the electorate here voted for Le Pen, and her anti-foreigner rhetoric. Although I now have French Nationality I don’t kid mayself that I am not regarded as any thing other than a foreigner just the same.
As it is and to avoid any possible hassles, I have decided not to go ahead with any further Lectures/Presentations on things locally, as I think it could be seen as being too "pushy’. Oh look out I am in trouble again by replying to too many things.!!!
Tile for me to go Time Walking again and an extended leave of absence - which I am sure will come as a relief for many! Bye for now!
or thinking out of the European box!
