Take France seriously

The importance of being serious about France

Denis MacShane

28 November 2007

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The new French ambassador is a figure of significance

There is a new French ambassador arriving in London this week. He is Maurice Gourdault-Montagne, known as — what else? — MGM in Quai d’Orsay. It is fashionable to downplay the role of the ambassador in the modern world. Has not instant communication made the profession of diplomacy redundant? When the president of France and the prime minister of the United Kingdom see each other at EU, G8 or other meetings with more regularity than they talk to their ministers, who needs ambassadors? Moreover, with so much of the common business between France and Britain conducted at European level, surely it is in Brussels, not London and Paris, that problems between the two countries are resolved?

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Peter Rodney

November 30th, 2007 10:38am Report this comment

This is wonderful rubbish. I have no doubt that MGM is a charming, delightful and clever man (although his close association with President Chirac may cast some doubt on his judgement). But ambassadors do nothing nowadays except live in grand houses and throw grand parties. Yes, an invitation to the French Embassy is something to be treasured and will make me feel well-disposed towards France - and no doubt Mr Macshane has been there a few times and is expecting another invitation soon. But a few words in a few well-disposed ears does not actually change the foreign policy of a State; the best it can do is mitigate the damage. MGM will be brilliant at explaining French dirigisme to the Anglo-Saxons; our man In France will be equally good at explaining the advantages of trade liberalism to the French. But it won't make the slightest difference to the fundamentals. Like the Monarchy, ambassadors are a splendid anachronism in the present day. By all means keep them, but let us not pretend they make any difference. Unless calling in the Sudanese ambassador will result in the immediate release of Ms Gibbons ... .

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