In Europe’s Name

Having seen off the Front Nationale, Francois Hollande must now establish a European popular front.

In 1936 the Jewish socialist academic Leon Blum was sworn in as Prime Minister of France. The consummate outsider, Blum’s government lasted a matter of months before it collapsed, consigning the idea of the Popular Front to failure. Easy though it is to minimise the impact of Blum’s short tenure, its achievements and basic programme (the four day week, two weeks holiday and wage increases) were the point at which the French decided they had ‘left off’ nine years later when desperate to erase the memory of Vichy.

Similarly, though the Fourth Republic is rightly considered to have been chaotic and fatally flawed, it was from out of this milieu that Jean Monnet emerged with the idea of a European Community. Starting with coal and steel tariffs to refocus domestic production, this supranational project might be said to have taken off.

The newly-mandated Socialist President, Francois Hollande, comes to office derided as a small player at a time of great instability. The EU has fixed only the most temporary of sticking plasters over the spiralling cost of borrowing for Greece; although there is a clear estimate for the haircut bondholders will have to take, the government’s target for deficit reduction looks fanciful. Now, with the collapse of PASOK, the political will to maintain that course appears to have evaporated. The disease of high unemployment and unmanageable bond rates appears to be spreading to the more substantial economy of Spain, although there is some comfort in that Italy is under control (at least, until the technocrat Mario Monti is forced to face the voters).

Contrary to the assertions of many oppositionists in Europe, German has not forced austerity on these countries, but it has not been prepared to gamble with its own creditworthiness (despite running a significant deficit of its own). This is why Polish foreign minister Radek Sikorski went to Berlin to plead the case for German activism.

Nicholas Sarkozy has been an important part of the Eurozone’s response to the fiscal crisis; flying to China to plead for investment in a central bailout fund and providing political cover for the German Chancellor, Angela Merkel, but he has not driven the process or won any obvious battles. This in turn forced him to make a last-ditch promise to reform the European Central Bank and allowing Hollande to appropriate the populist political bandwagon that is the Eurobond (i.e. a centrally issued bond, giving all EU countries the ability to borrow at the same rate).

Hollande enters from stage right (like Clement Attlee at Yalta) promising fundamental change but offering a slightly different emphasis. Growth and austerity have been by-words during the crisis for supply and demand side reforms; initially, the crisis was considered to be one of competitiveness, but is fast becoming a problem of demand as businesses and consumers hold back from expanding.

The Accession countries (twelve mainly Central and Eastern European countries have joined in the past decade) have mostly been disciplined in their spending and have just accepted a smaller fiscal transfer in the form of the Cohesion programme. Meanwhile, Hungary’s economy (closely linked with Austria’s) continues to be a basket case and its new constitution and media law are testing the ability of the EU to enforce its basic conditions of membership (it is worth noting that the Fiscal Pact that Hollande has objected to is merely an affirmation of the Euro’s original premise).

Drawing meaning from Europe at this moment of crisis is a task worthy of the French Presidency, yet it is not entirely clear that Hollande has considered the many factors at play. While I suspect that he may be more compatible with Merkel than many have suggested (the German Chancellor is more personable than she is given credit for, but she is also in a corner), Europe is currently a tangle of meanings.

In order to regain the initiative, Europe needs to stimulate demand while convincing outsiders of its fiscal discipline. Moreover, it needs to decide what the point of its fiscal transfers is to be – protecting old industries, bringing new members up to a certain level of wealth or subsidising the purchase of goods made in Germany or Central Europe. All of these are valid at one level or another, but are not necessarily tailored to make the maximum economic impact. Deepening the common market and thereby averaging out the price of energy might be a start.

The irony of today is that fear of Hollande demanding that Europe abandons its efforts to pay its debts that the value of the Euro has fallen considerably. This competitive boost has been just what has been argued Greece needs (although more dramatically). Thus, out of the spectre that Hollande appears to represent to some might come the breathing space to achieve what he hopes.

Six Nations Review – Le Grand Slam

The 2009 Six Nations were a tournament to forget, unless you were Irish. The boys in green won their first grand slam for sixty years, but in the same manner as a player who has just received an interception pass and can’t quite believe he’s clear of the pack. Then there were the games marred by endless full-back to full-back kicking, and navel-gazing that suggested that English rugby was in decline – a powerful impression belied by their second place finish.

Then came the Lions tour – the saving grace of the Northern Hemisphere – and suddenly this year’s Championship is a feast of running rugby. The seventh grand slam in the past decade and France’s third in the same space of time will be remembered as a triumph for Gallic incaution on the part of their three-quarters and the commanding petit general, Morgan Parra (all-running, all-dancing, all-kicking French number 9’s are as much a French tradition as Emperors, African football players and riots). But more importantly it was the year they stopped le tinkerman stopped changing his team, France sorted out their defence and indiscipline and finally out-thought England in the scrum.

Perhaps the momentum afforded by five games instead of four is overwhelming, but once the battle for the Championship was effectively over, the rest of the tournament became far less predictable. Scotland’s late win over Ireland was a triumph for a team reinvigorated by a breath of fresh management but who themselves were turned over by the increasingly tough-minded Italians.

Then there were the Welsh, wholly unpredictable in themselves.  The Welsh have won two Six Nations grand slams, in 2005 and 2008, but have been in indifferent form in 2010. That’s not to say that they aren’t entertaining. In fact, the growth and growth of Stephen Jones as a player (perhaps the Lions influence again) has given them renewed determination to fling the ball around with abandon. After upsetting Scotland at the death and giving France a run for their money (having gifted them an unassailable lead), they routed Italy yesterday. But they also left it to the last game to score their first first-half try, giving the impression that they can’t quite manage temperate. Stragely, given the Lions’ reliance on Jamie Roberts, it appears that his influence is outweiged by James Hook, who along with Shane Williams seems to be at the centre of everything Wales do.

If Stephen Jones was the fly-half of the tournament, Dan Parks and Jonathan Sexton also deserve some commendation. Parks has stepped into the void left by Chris Patterson’s injury and become no less talismanic, winning three Man of the Match awards. It was he who put the final damper on Croke Park with a great tactical kick that forced the penalty he won the match with in the 79th minute. Then there was Jonathan Sexton, whose pace put him into a gap in the first half Ronan O’Gara would probably have kicked into, and led to the first try. It was cruel then, that his placekicking cost Ireland the Triple Crown but he had the bravery to tell ROG to wait on the sidelines until he had improved his percentage. Luckily, he scored.

Italy seem to be settled with Craig Gower in the first receiver position, but England are at a total loss, dropping Jonny Wilkinson for the lack of inspiration in the English backs, only to recall him when five points behind. It speaks volumes that they will fall back on a kicking game, but England looked far more solid with ball in hand. Indeed, it was only the rain that disrupted the game plan and by the final quarter it had eased off.

Championships are often more memorable for the moments provided by flying (or hopeless) backs but this year belonged as much to the back row forwards. France’s tackled everything, Scotland’s seemed to make all the ground and even Ireland’s seemed to come to the fore when all else failed yesterday. England’s were ineffectual – with only five turnovers in the whole tournament, while one of Wales’ was found in a golf buggy on the hard shoulder (offering a joke that denies Sam Warburton an honourable mention).

France combined a bit of everything good about Northern Hemisphere rugby (have they benefitted from the exodus of English players to France?), and as such are worthy wingers. Most will say so-much-the-better that they did it with a bit of flair, but all-in-all, Northern Hemisphere rugby is once more in rude health and seems to be in the process of rediscovering itself. Unfortunately, only when it comes into direct contact with the South can the improvement be fairly measured. This autumn will therefore be an interesting precursor to the World Cup, at which point, all bets are off.

For France the Spoils, for Wales the Insurgency

The Six Nations would be poorer without any of its constituent parts but perhaps most of all without Wales. Like all teams, they have drifted in and out of form – and are we not grateful that the traditional Gallic indifference now includes some of that traditional Gallic flair – but by Jove, they make a game of it. Scotland looked to be heading for an impressive victory two weeks ago, leading by ten points with fifteen minutes remaining. That was plenty of time for Wales though, and Leigh Halfpenny and Shane Williams ran in tries to stun Cardiff with a 31-24 victory.

Alas, they left it too late and gave away too big a lead against France in a perfomance that will have infuriated Warren Gatland and yet made the whole country strangely proud. Going into the game with the untested Richie Rees at scrum half didn’t help Wales, but it was James Hook – having a variable Championship at outside centre – who really summed up his side’s fortunes. In the opening six minutes of the first half he was at fault in defence, coming up too quickly and allowing France to go wide, and attack, throwing a careless pass to the lingering Alexis Palisson.

France have uncharacteristically become a team based on solid defence and a smarter, technical approach to the breakdown. Wales, despite having the larger pack, seemed strangely unable to clear out rucks and their scrum faltered – perhaps a sign of the unpredictability with which the set piece is refereed these days. The home side was also guilty of over-enthusiasm, committing too many players to rucks and trying to force the offload without going forward first.

And yet, it was symbolic that the two French tries came from intercepted passes, while Wales struggled to make the most of their opportunities. The much feted Matthieu Bastereaud had no great game – his significance is the way he changes the atmosphere when he receives the ball, pushing defenders to panic stations in the same way Jonah Lomu did for New Zealand. But France have plenty of pace in the three-quarters, and it is on the counter-attack that they really threaten.

It will be interesting to see how France come off against England. On this evidence, Jonny Wilkinson will have a very hard time of it. It was to Stephen Jones’ credit that he made space to run at the French defence – notably on a looping move straight off the training ground. To kick deep with France is not the right tactic, which leaves England with few ideas left.

Wales came close through the sheer pace of Leigh Halfpenny and Shane Williams.  The former can pick a great line even through midfield, and the latter’s sidesteps led to his fiftieth and one of his best Welsh tries.

England will use their forwards to make ground more than Wales, but having Matthew Tait at full stretch will be a neat asset. If that is to happen it is at inside centre that England will have to be creative. Wales barely used Jamie Roberts yesterday – arguably, they didn’t need to – but Flutey or Flood (whoever plays), will have to draw defenders for England’s three-quarters to be released through a long pass or quick ball. Today’s game will give an indication of whether that will be beyond them or not.

Highlights

From Big Bastereaud to Silly Bastereaud

The French flanker Mathieu Bastereaud, who is a cousin of William Gallas, recently claimed he was set-upon by a group of four or five men during France’s recent tour of New Zealand. Yesterday he admitted that the facial injuries he sustained were the result of his falling over a table – the worse for drink.

I imagine he’s feeling pretty stupid right now, and I’m sure he’s offended a fair few people, but he’s made up for it by providing us with a good laugh at his expense.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/rugby_union/8112028.stm