England and France. Britain and France. English and French. Will they ever make up? I'm researching the medieval antagonism between the two languages, focusing on the period of the Hundred Years War, when English once again became the language of English government. Yet despite a hundred years of the entente cordiale, it appears that this antagonism will never go away. The recent spat over Britain's rebate in the EU has had politicians and mediamen spitting venomous remarks across the Channel, the French accusing the British of 'stealing' the rebate money, the British accusing the French of having only one view of Europe. Last week there were celebrations in the Solent (involving British and French vessels, in harmony) marking the 200th anniversary of Nelson's victory over Napoleon at Trafalgar - how they love to remember beating the French, eh. And this week sees another chapter in the battle of two cities, and oh yes, the mudslinging has begun in earnest (well, in Singapore, actually). London and Paris are neck-and-neck in the race for the 2012 Olympics, and it's getting personal. And to top it all, Jacques Chirac has decided now is the right time to slag off British cooking, just before having dinner with the Queen at Gleneagles. "The only thing they have done for European agriculture," monsieur 'right-wing' Chirac said, "is mad cow disease." Nice to see racial stereotyping is alive and well in France. I would advise the French president to avoid the creamy white sauce likely to appear somewhere on his food - bearnaise it aint. Can't we all be friends? Or are we just faux amis?
Frankly my dear, je m'en fous
4.7.05 17:01
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