France, “Chirac = Warrior for Peace”

`Chirac: No`

This headline decorated the front page of Liberation, a French daily, dated March 11. With its red background and white letters, it gave off an even stronger impression. The red represents `stop` from traffic lights and the white represents peace. The title has been especially designed and edited to praise President Chirac when he, who opposes the Iraq War, declared on Monday that he will exercise his veto right of the Second Resolution of the UN Security Council which would provide the basis for beginning of the war against Iraq.

Le Figaro, a rightist newspaper, went even further. By praising President Chirac as a `Warrior for Peace` and through its editorial, it stated, “President Chirac has rewritten a page which has disappeared in his life by raising the national self-respect of France. He even left a remarkable page in history by protecting the multi-polarized world under the name of France.”

Both political parties and the press whole-heartedly welcome the president`s declaration of exercising the veto right. Public opinion polls show that over 70% of French people support this course of action.

President Chirac, faced with corruption charges on issues related to political funds about a year ago, now has become a prominent figure in the anti-war movement. With discussions of nominations to the Nobel Prize, all of sudden he has risen into a world renowned bearer of peace.

What stood out most during this process was the crafty political power of President Chirac, who is now 70 years of age this year. From the beginning, he didn`t publicly declared his `absolute opposition to the Iraq War` as Germany had but by allotting his role along with Prime Minister Jean Pierre Raffarin to leak possibility of cooperation with the United States, he calmed both national and international press who were concerned about confrontation with the US. The European press analyzes that lifted the final curtain on his true views at the most opportune time.

There is likely a strong connection being made between Chirac and Charles de Gaulle, who boldly confronted the United States proclaiming `the Mighty France`, lying deep within the psyche of the French people. The self-respect of the French people has been wounded from a best-selling book in the US entitled, `The Anti-Americanism of France.` However, with the actions of President Chirac, it has been said that he, an ideologist of former President De Gaulle, has healed the wounded self-respect of France.

There have been some concern and criticism towards President Chirac for creating a rift between France and `the most powerful country in the world (the United States)` and `the closest neighbor (Britain)` as their enemies but most of these have been buried under the continuous shouting of “Chirac! Chirac!”

Jei-Gyoon Park phark@donga.com