Tuesday 9 April 2019

Les Français: aidez nous.

This afternoon Mrs May is to meet with the French President to beg for an extension.

My friend John Cole of Bradford suggested we write to M Macron to prepare him and help to promote a constructive dialogue.

So over the weekend we sent him the following Email:


Monsieur le Président,

Nous sommes deux members du Parti Libéral britanique.  
 Notre parti est depuis  le début un partisan 
enthousiaste de l’Union européenne. Maintenant, nous
 avons honte des singeries de notre gouvernement. 
Nous sommes deux des plus  de 6 millions d’hommes 
qui ont signé une pétion en annulation de l’article 
50.

 Nous espérons que notre parlement aura le bon sens 
de le faire avant la fin de la semaine. Si ce n'est pas le cas, nous vous prions d'appuyer l'octroi d'une  nouvelle prolongation d'au moins un an.

Partir n’est certainement pas le but de la population
. Déjà, les sondages d’opinion montrent que 55% sont
en faveur de rester dans l’Union européenne. 
 Dans un an, nous pourrons peut-être obtenir une 
majorité encore plus convaincante.

Ensuite, nous pourrons peut-être rester dans l'Union européenne et nous associer à vous et à nos autres voisins pour construire une Europe meilleure et plus just.



Veillez agréer, Monsieur le président,  d'accepter l'assurance de nos salutations distinguées



Translation: 
We are two members of the British Liberal Democrat 
Party. Our party has been an enthusiastic supporter
 of the European Union since its inception. Now we
 are ashamed of the foolish antics of our government.
 We are two of the more than 6 million people who 
signed a petition for the withdrawal of Article 50.
We hope that our parliament will have the good sense 
to do that before the end of the week. If they do not
, then we beg you to grant us another extension
 of at least a year.

Leaving is certainly not the will of the people. 
Already the opinion polls show  that 55% are in 
favour of remaining in the EU. In a year we should 
be able to obtain an even more convincing majority.
Then we may be able to remain in the EU and work with
 you and our other neighbours to build a better and 
fairer Europe.
Yours etc.,


There is a typo in first word of the super-
respectful conclusion. It should  be  "veuillez" 
meaning "we beg you" rather than "veillez" which 
means, among other things "sit up with" such as a 
fractious child or a dying relative. 
 Maybe it wasn't such a mistake after all.

11 comments:

  1. A year-long extension would be brilliant; we can sent a whole load of Brexit party MEPs to work with the other Euroscpetics from other nations to wreck the European Parliament, we can elect a new PM who will take Jacob Rees-Mogg's advice to be as obstructionist as possible when it comes to things like the EU's budget setting, and we can generally cause utter havoc from which the EU will take decades to recover, if it ever does, before finally leaving the shattered husk of federalist dreams behind.

    It'll be great fun.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I expect we'll be required to behave in a grown-up way and, being British, will keep our promise. "My word is my bond" is an (allegedly) British value.

      Delete
    2. Oh, no, don't you bet on it. We the-population get to elect the next PM, and we're not going to elect somebody who isn't going to use every trick they can to destroy the EU. Anyone who agrees to abide by the EU's terms is not going to get within a mile of 10 Downing Street.

      Delete
    3. To be accurate, if Mrs May resigns before an election, which seems likely, then the next PM will be elected not by "we the population" but by a dwindling band of Conservative Party members. I'm surprised you, along with Jacob Rees-Mogg, are so keen to abandon the values of decency and advocate our behaving like spoilt children.

      Delete
    4. To be accurate, if Mrs May resigns before an election, which seems likely, then the next PM will be elected not by "we the population" but by a dwindling band of Conservative Party members

      Well, that just proves they will be required to demonstrate that they do not regard the EU as a legitimate authority, and also points out that Theresa May has not moral authority to make any pledges or promises about the UK's future behaviour as she so clearly does not represent the people.

      However, given the current composition of the House of Commons which effectively renders any government impossible, it will be necessary for the new Conservative leader to go to the country pretty soon after taking office in order to gain a majority, and for that they will again be required to show that they will not pledge fealty to the EU but will instead work with every fibre of their being against its institutions.

      I'm surprised you, along with Jacob Rees-Mogg, are so keen to abandon the values of decency and advocate our behaving like spoilt children.

      It's hardly being a spoilt child to advocate resistance against what has revealled itself to be a hostile foreign power which seeks to keep the UK prisoner in an organisation which its people have indicated they wish it to leave.

      I just think that it's important that France knows what to expect if they grant a long extension. If they thought the UK was a thorn in their federalist plans over the last three decades, they ain't seen nothing yet.

      Delete
  2. What is wrong with federalist states .The US is one. It made them rather successful

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Nothing, per se. I just don't think the UK should be forced to be part of one against the wishes of its people.

      If other countries want to join up to a federal state, that's none of my business. Though I do think it would be polite to ask their population first, and respect their answer, rather than making them vote again if the do it wrong the first time (as keeps happening to Ireland) or simply ignoring the vote if it doesn't go the way you want (as happened to the French and the Dutch).

      Delete
  3. Anon. If you believe in what you say why not publish comments under your name? Or are you just a stirrer who got out of bet the wrong side?

    ReplyDelete
  4. In the spirit of reasoned, adult, democratic debate I believe that Farage and his cronies are stockpiling catapults and stink bombs in readiness for future sittings of the EU parliament.

    ReplyDelete
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    ReplyDelete