Reference ID Created Released Classification Origin
05PARIS7360 2005-10-27 15:03 2010-12-01 12:12 CONFIDENTIAL Embassy Paris
This record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available.
C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 03 PARIS 007360
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/25/2015
TAGS: PREL PGOV FR
SUBJECT: AMBASSADOR’S MEETING WITH MICHEL ROCARD
REF: PARIS 7195
Classified By: Ambassador Craig R. Stapleton for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d
[...]
¶2. (C) Rocard, like former president Valery Giscard d’Estaing
(reftel), believes that French history provides the keys for
understanding French politics and France’s policies.
Rocard’s point of departure is France’s emergence as a
nation-state. The history of other European nation-states is
that of linguistic communities serving their trade needs.
France created itself by destroying five cultures — Breton,
Occitan, Alsatian, Corsican, and Flemish. "We are the only
European nation which is the military creation of a
non-homogeneous State. This makes France difficult to govern
to this day. This explains our difficulty in reforming, our
slowness," he said.
[...]
http://wikileaks.ch/cable/2005/10/05PARIS7360.html
"Rocard, comme l’ancien président Valéry Giscard d’Estaing, croit que l’histoire de France fournit les clés pour comprendre la politique française. Rocard remonte à l’époque de l’émergence de l’État-nation. L’histoire des autres États-nations européens est celle de communautés linguistiques au service de leurs intérêts commerciaux. La France s’est créée par la destruction de cinq cultures — bretonne, occitane, alsacienne, corse et flamande".
"Nous sommes la seule nation européenne qui soit la création militaire d’un État non homogène. C’est ce qui rend la France difficile à gouverner et explique notre difficulté à réformer, notre lenteur", dit-il (Michel Rocard).