Europa adjusts to an America impervious to tongue-clucking:

The European Union and the United States recommitted themselves to a smooth trans-Atlantic relationship Friday and hoped the second term of President Bush would no longer be marred by nasty political and trade disputes.

At their summit, EU leaders offered to put differences aside and issued a statement saying: "Our deep political, economic and cultural ties make us each other's natural and indispensable partners."

-- everyone except one-note multipolarmaniac Jack:

French President Jacques Chirac said Friday that Europe should bolster its united power on the world stage, in the face of a strong United States reinforced by the re-election of President George W. Bush.

"It is obvious that the assertion of strong American policy leads [us] quite naturally to reinforce Europe on political and economic fronts," he said.

On the economic front, the two-day EU summit debated the so-called Lisbon agenda, a flagging plan by Europe to overtake the United States as the world's "most dynamic" economy by 2010.

Ah, the Lisbon Strategy. Even bureaucratese "happy talk" can't puff up its lackluster performance and prospects:

Halfway through the first decade of the Lisbon strategy, the targets for employment rates in the EU now look more challenging than they did. [Emphasis in original.] When one looks at the key demographic groups from which most of the increase in employment must come, it is difficult to see how the overall target of a 70 per cent employment rate can be achieved by 2010, even in the EU-15, let alone the EU-25. The 50 per cent target for older workers also appears out of reach, though substantial progress has been registered. There is still a chance that the 60 per cent target for female workers will be reached. The macroeconomic slowdown has not helped, but more importantly, a great deal remains to be done in the area of structural reforms.[p.2]

These targets have met with criticism in some quarters on several counts. Some regarded them as overambitious, particularly since the European Council – as opposed to individual Member States – lacks full control of the necessary instruments to meet its objectives. There were doubts about whether a credible strategy had been set out, or even whether EU leaders realised the extent of reforms that would be required. [p.5]

With the process of privatisation largely completed in most countries, this suggests that future productivity increases will rely more heavily on investment and human capital formation, and underlines the need to tackle skill shortages and improve the quality of education and training systems. [p.39]

[All emphases added except where noted.]

An oppositional Europe is merely France writ large, and given the choice of American partnership or French leadership, well, we do not believe Europa is as dumb as France hopes it to be.

Economic power is not the damning defect in France's Euro-fantasy. France as the fantasy's center is a nation bereft of ideas and the will to sacrifice. Her one big bold idea is for Europa to fall behind France in opposition to America. But other than Belgium, the rest of Europa, no matter its opinion of America, does not see a big future in French schemes requiring French leadership.

As for sacrifice, well, the French national psyche remains forever disfigured by WWI, when sacrifice was turned into waste. French opposition to military force at all costs is not some executive principle for the sanctity of life. It is a projection of her inability to stomach the wages of war. Elsewhere French unions forbid the necessary austerities for France to right herself economically. Even within the EU she hopes to lead, France is unable to discipline herself, flouting her fiscal obligations under the EU Stability and Growth Pact. France will never attempt anything that disturbs her dinner hour. That's for others to bear and Europa knows it.

Hey froggies, here's a twofer for ya. You can get both Michael Moore and Jerry Lewis movies cheap at Borders now.
http://instapundit.com/archives/019080.php

We are being told that Bush's victory is a reason for Europe to stand together. Had Kerry won of course, we would have been told that the New President was pro European Unification and therefore we should speed up the process.

What ever the question, European Integration is always the answer.

We await the referendum for our revenge.

Hello,
From Paris...
I was surfing on french-bashing sites & I happened to read some articles on this site... What strikes me, dear British friends, is that you'll never find the equivalent french site because, for us, french people, you are not so significant any more (well, maybe as an additional american state). C'est trop d'honneur que vous nous faites. Merci !!!

Hello,

From America, and a Blue State as it so happens...

Well, Olivier, this here is a wholly-owed American enterprise. And of course it is not to accord you or France any honor that we publish. But unlike your mean-spirited slam of our British pals, we celebrate France's insignificance here. France is like a Three Stooges short writ large. She is always trying to involve others in funny half-assed schemes she can't afford or manage.

Her pretensions as a world power never fail to have us in stitches over here. It's as if one could teach a pimple to speak.

Drop by anytime.

DGB