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Post by Tim on Feb 28, 2019 14:07:43 GMT
In the last few days the Dutch government have bought a 14% stake in Air France/KLM which almost matches the 14.3% stake the French government already owned.
Seems reasonable, eh?
Apparently not if you're French -
"France is still upset with the Dutch government, which decided to suddenly buy a 14% stake in AirFrance-KLM on Tuesday.
The Netherlands government said it chose to buy the stake in order to "protect Dutch interests".
The Dutch now own a 14% stake in AirFrance-KLM, while France owns a 14.3% stake, which makes them almost equal.
"Between two states, which are friendly and close founding members of the European Union, such behaviour is unacceptable," French finance minister Bruno Le Maire told Public Senat television. "It's not reasonable to remain in this situation, which benefits nobody."
There had been concerns in early February that KLM boss Pieter Elbers would not be reappointed as chief executive of the Franco-Dutch airline holding company's division in the Netherlands.
In response, the Dutch government gave him its official backing, and KLM staff threatened to go on strike."
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Post by Boxer6 on Feb 28, 2019 14:59:45 GMT
On the face of it, the French and Dutch have an almost equal "share" of a Franco-Dutch joint venture. I'm obviously thick, as I don't see what possible problem the French could have with that. Le twats!
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Post by Deleted on Feb 28, 2019 15:27:44 GMT
Le frogs have always demanded to be lead in any project, one of the reasons they abandoned the Typhoon and developed the Rafale was that their design was not chosen. Why Ze Chermans have allowed them lead in the new tank development and the new fighter aircraft I do not know, perhaps they have compromising pictures of the Merkalator.
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Post by Big Blue on Feb 28, 2019 16:30:59 GMT
The French are utterly insular and will remain so until the human species is the new oil in a few million years time.
They have been accused of having policies on keeping Africa poor to benefit France, they have rules on labour that stop changed working practice away from the French way (ie harder work š), they restrict how many non-French language pop songs are on the radio etc etc.
Neither the British nor the Germans have anything in common with them, except the Alsace which is German anyway, and we really should have nothing to do with them.
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Post by racingteatray on Mar 1, 2019 9:57:51 GMT
Once upon a time French was the official diplomatic language in Europe and indeed the language at court in a number of European monarchies, as well as the Russian court. The French remain tres miffed that this is not still the case.
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Post by Bob Sacamano v2.0 on Mar 1, 2019 9:59:12 GMT
Once upon a time French was the official diplomatic language in Europe and indeed the language at court in a number of European monarchies, as well as the Russian court. The French remain tres miffed that this is not still the case. After Brexit they'll fix that. |
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Post by PG on Mar 1, 2019 11:18:26 GMT
I think after Brexit that English will cease to be an official language used by the EU at all, as the Irish chose Gaelic as their official language, knowing that all the official documents would be in English anyway as that was the UK's official language, even though very few Irish people speak Gaelic. Should be interesting.....
The French are the most pig-headedly nationalistic country on the planet. Of course the Dutch government are not allowed to own any shares in KLM / Air France. It is against French interests. Just like Airbus is not a French company. No, not at all....
I love these two quotes about the French -
An officer in the U.S. Naval reserve was attending a conference of officers from the U.S. navy and the French navy. At a cocktail reception, he found himself in a small group that included personnel from both navies.
A French admiral started complaining that whereas Europeans learned many languages, Americans learned only English. He then asked: 'Why is it that we have to speak English at these conferences rather than speak French?' Without hesitating, an American admiral replied: 'Maybe it's because the Brits,
Canadians, Aussies and Americans arranged it so you wouldn't have to speak German.'
and
In 1966, upon being told that Charles de Gaulle had taken France out of NATO and that all U.S. troops must be evacuated from French soil, President Lyndon Johnson told Secretary of State Dean Rusk: 'Ask him about the cemeteries, Dean!'
So, at end of the meeting, Dean asked de Gaulle if his order to remove all U.S. troops from French soil also included the 60,000 plus soldiers buried in France from World War I and World War II. De Gaulle never answered.
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Post by racingteatray on Mar 1, 2019 11:29:37 GMT
The French are the most pig-headedly nationalistic country on the planet. I used to agree with you.
But I think that we have now comprehensively trumped them on that front with our Brexit ace card.
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Post by PG on Mar 1, 2019 14:11:59 GMT
The French are the most pig-headedly nationalistic country on the planet. I used to agree with you.
But I think that we have now comprehensively trumped them on that front with our Brexit ace card.
Au contraire. I don't think we are even in the same league as the French. After all how can you explain that France still has two motor manufacturers, despite them making products as equally shit as ours for many years; has a nuclear industry; power companies; train manufacturers; etc etc. Easy - they buy French made products above all others (even if they are shit); use an open EU tender (if forced) and then they give the business to a French company and never allow a foreigner an advantage. Plus they still have the whole Strasbourg EU Parliament circus to bring cash into the economy there every month. If the French ever voted for Frexit, they'd do it properly. BMW's and Mercs would be offloaded at the border and set on fire util ze Germans caved; EU MEP's wod be blockaded in Strasbourg until they caved in. |
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Post by Deleted on Mar 1, 2019 14:39:00 GMT
Essentially the French and Germans are in luv and basically run the eu. Not much has a chance if it is not in the interests of those 2.
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Post by Deleted on Mar 18, 2019 17:51:46 GMT
The French are utterly insular <snip> and we really should have nothing to do with them. Do you not holiday there several times a year? |
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Post by Deleted on Mar 18, 2019 17:54:45 GMT
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Post by Martin on Mar 18, 2019 17:58:13 GMT
The French are utterly insular <snip> and we really should have nothing to do with them. Do you not holiday there several times a year? Staying with family iirc, so not a free choice on location and not really a holiday! There are some lovely regions in France, but the locals do spoil it somewhat. |
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Post by Big Blue on Mar 18, 2019 20:01:21 GMT
āShouldā is not finite. I meant this in a political sense as opposed to a personal one.
France is probably the most beautiful landmass in Europe inhabited by peasants that won a revolt a couple of centuries ago and in the main have remained revolting ever since.
Most of my motherās friends are not French and the locals in her town are largely of Italian descent as a stroll around the cemetery would let you know.
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Post by Deleted on Mar 18, 2019 20:50:16 GMT
āShouldā is not finite. I meant this in a political sense as opposed to a personal one. France is probably the most beautiful landmass in Europe inhabited by peasants that won a revolt a couple of centuries ago and in the main have remained revolting ever since. Most of my motherās friends are not French and the locals in her town are largely of Italian descent as a stroll around the cemetery would let you know. My neighbour upstairs spent about twenty years living in France and she tells of the French in a very similar vein. Especially the politicians whom she describes as being too busy getting their hands in the pot to spend any time actually politicking. |
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