France's Tax Threats Against Belgium Signal Extreme Danger
The quite extraordinarily aggressive attitude of the President of France and his delegation against his neighbouring country of Belgium was the only truly significant factor of substance to emerge from this week's European Council meeting.
Belgium has been on the verge of falling apart for two years and survives mostly because it hosts the evil EU. The French speaking portion of the country Wallonia is therefore already looking towards France with considerably more interest than that of mere close neighbour.
One report on the substance and nature of the threats is best gleaned from this report that appeared yesterday in Zero Hedge, linked here.
The present attitude of the French Government is reminiscent of that of Cardinal Richelieu towards La Rochelle during the siege of 1627. La Rochelle was rich from trade with the new world, Richelieu fortified Brouage down the coast to contain the wealth he later expected to accrue, but when the siege was done with some 75% of its inhabitants slaughtered, the wealth and trade had disappeared with it. Arguably France struggled to ever recover from that folly of jealous greed disguised as a religious theological difference.
The village in Belgium, complete with socialist mayor (apparently an almost equal affront in President Hollande's eye) is home to other wealthy families from France, including the owners of the Auchan Hypermarket chain whose aisles across France seem brim full this Christmas season compared to those of some of their struggling competitors when noted by this infrquent shopper.
This blog has constantly warned that fragmentation of the old nation states could be the most dangerous means of the EU's inevitable demise. In this age of austerity I had never imagined that tax equalization could prove the spark in the tinder box for such disputes.
Belgium is in a poor situation to offer resistance against this French assault, were I a rich film star or owner of a prospering supermarket chain, I believe I would now be seeking another, home beyond the EU itself.
Belgium has been on the verge of falling apart for two years and survives mostly because it hosts the evil EU. The French speaking portion of the country Wallonia is therefore already looking towards France with considerably more interest than that of mere close neighbour.
One report on the substance and nature of the threats is best gleaned from this report that appeared yesterday in Zero Hedge, linked here.
The present attitude of the French Government is reminiscent of that of Cardinal Richelieu towards La Rochelle during the siege of 1627. La Rochelle was rich from trade with the new world, Richelieu fortified Brouage down the coast to contain the wealth he later expected to accrue, but when the siege was done with some 75% of its inhabitants slaughtered, the wealth and trade had disappeared with it. Arguably France struggled to ever recover from that folly of jealous greed disguised as a religious theological difference.
The village in Belgium, complete with socialist mayor (apparently an almost equal affront in President Hollande's eye) is home to other wealthy families from France, including the owners of the Auchan Hypermarket chain whose aisles across France seem brim full this Christmas season compared to those of some of their struggling competitors when noted by this infrquent shopper.
This blog has constantly warned that fragmentation of the old nation states could be the most dangerous means of the EU's inevitable demise. In this age of austerity I had never imagined that tax equalization could prove the spark in the tinder box for such disputes.
Belgium is in a poor situation to offer resistance against this French assault, were I a rich film star or owner of a prospering supermarket chain, I believe I would now be seeking another, home beyond the EU itself.
Labels: Auchan, Belgium, Deperdieu, Euco, France, Hollande, La rochelle, Medici, Richelieu
posted by Martin at 8:11 AM
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