In addition to its criticism of the new French government and
its head, Dominique de Villepin, the Jewish community is now
also concerned over the ministerial appointment of a
controversial suburban Arab activist who supports the
antisemitic Euro Palestine Party. Azuz Baqaq drew all the
camera lenses when he set out on Monday decked in a new suit
and stepped into the official car he received at Matignon
Palace, the Paris residence of French prime ministers, after
Villepin and Chirac appointed him to draw the votes of
suburban Arabs. The only media outlet to report this story
was Al Jazeera.
Chirac opened a new ministry for him, called the Ministry for
the Promotion of Equal Opportunities, whose task is to
integrate Arabs from the suburbs into French society. Jewish
intellectuals familiar with Baqaq said they do not trust him
at all and many fear that he will take advantage of the
post.
Baqaq indirectly supported attacks on botei knesses
and Jews in the suburbs by denying that they were
antisemitic. Instead of denouncing the acts he defended the
attackers, claiming they were victims of racism and that
wealthy Jews stir envy.
During the election campaign for the European Parliament,
Baqaq supported the Euro Palestine list, which spread
antisemitic propaganda at election gatherings. "Euro
Palestine raises political awareness in the Arab suburbs," he
said at the time. The appointment of such an extremist
reflects the increasing Arab influence in French politics,
fears of Arabs and the personal leanings of Villepin, who
appointed him assistant while serving as Interior
Minister.
Attorney Gage, the only Jew in the outgoing government, was
forced out and had to step down in shame when her Ministry
for Victims' Rights was dismantled on Friday. She was
considered overly friendly to Israel and to the Jewish
community, while still failing to bring Chirac Jewish
support.
The exchange of ministers included a small drama and a revolt
against President Chirac. Outgoing ministers are always cast
out in shame among cardboard boxes piled up in the courtyard
of the palaces. At the Defense Ministry diplomats protested
vocally against the dismissal of Foreign Minister Michel
Barnier. The appointment of Philippe Douste-Blazy, an honest,
pro-West politician without experience in French foreign
policy, was received with opposition because of this. Barnier
himself parted with the diplomats bitterly, saying, "My
dismissal is a beheading of the French Foreign Ministry."
Barnier held Chirac responsible for France's loss of standing
in Europe and is trying to push himself forward following the
defeat in the referendum on the European Constitution. "The
days have passed when France could impose its views on its
European partners," said Barnier. "From now on it will have
to persuade them. The result of the referendum is proof we
will not be able to advance our plan for the unification of
Europe without the citizens."
Chirac ignored him and left for Berlin to coordinate with
Chancellor Schroeder on how to disregard the no-vote on the
constitution in France and Holland and to continue to
implement it. "The constitution is dead but not buried," said
observers in Brussels following the meeting in Germany.
France and Germany saw the constitution as a means of
perpetuating their control over the European Union. Chirac
and Schroeder called on Europeans to go forward with its
implementation and disregard the no-vote at present. They are
seeking to at least retain the appointment of a president and
foreign minister to run European policy as a single bloc and
are willing to annul the liberal sections on a free market in
goods and the mobility of the workforce.
European Union member nations are taking advantage of the
opportunity to release themselves from the yoke of French and
German control over Europe. The Economist held Chirac
responsible for the crisis. "The source of the problems in
France is not Europe, not global economics, not the far right
and not the far left — but Chirac, who should have
learned from de Gaulle and headed for home."
The crisis in Europe is calling the euro into question. The
commissioner of the Central Bank of Europe is ignoring
charges that the bank is responsible for the economic
withdrawal and the political crisis by holing up in his tower
in Frankfurt, and refusing to reduce the interest rate. "The
euro is a stable and strong currency. Don't worry. I'm
preserving your buying power," he said. The Italian Welfare
Minister said Italy plans to abandon the euro and reinstate
the lira.
