As previously announced, Tuesday the French Consul General of San Francisco, M. Romain Serman, came to BYU to talk about the relationship between France and the United States. M. Serman's address (delivered with a wonderful French accent) covered a broad range of issues relevant to both France and the United States, while the question and answer session following focused more on France's policies both at home and abroad. What follows is a summary of his address:
M. Serman began by reminding us of the long relationship between France and the United States, one which goes back to the American Revolution. France is our first and oldest ally; they were instrumental at the famous battle at Yorktown, and French involvement in the American War for Independence eventually led to their own revolution. The alliance has been "forged in blood", as American troops left their homes to liberate Europe in World War I and World War II. M. Serman declared that the French remember and are grateful for the sacrifice of those American soldiers.
The alliance between France and the United States is not exclusive to the battlefield. We share the common values of liberty, tolerance, and democracy, as well as the belief that each nation has an important role to play in the world. In 2007 Nicolas Sarkozy became the president of the Republic, and a hallmark of his administration has been to not be ashamed of being pro-American and a part of the Western world.
That said, to be allied does not always mean to be aligned, and M. Serman stated that it is because of this strong friendship that our two nations are able to participate in open and productive dialogue even when we do not see eye to eye on something. These disagreements arise over such issues as trade (competition between Boeing and Airbus for example).
But there are many more examples of close cooperation between the United States and France. After September 11, 2001, France was among the first of our allies to deploy troops to Afghanistan. Today there are approximately 4,000 french soldiers there helping move forward the common goals of a secure Afghanistan with its own army. Each nation is a leader in the fight against terrorism, and under Sarkozy's leadership France has reintegrated into NATO's military command.
Americans hold many misconceptions about France; M. Serman listed three that he felt were the most important, then explained why they were not true. First, the idea of France as antisemitic is opposite to the reality of a legal system with harsh punishments for any antisemitism. Second, Americans tend to perceive the French as ungrateful for the service of American troops during the two World Wars; on the contrary, M. Serman reiterated that France will always be grateful. Third, the perception of France as a nation failing to enact economic reform is simply not true.
In fact, both Europe and France are major players in the American economy. The European Union produces 28% of the global GDP and is the largest foreign investor in the United States. Europe has invested more in California alone than the US has in all of China. France itself is the 7th largest foreign investor in the US, and $190 million dollars worth of trade are conducted between the two countries daily. Every year 17,000 American students study in France, while 3.5 million of their compatriots visit as tourists.
He concluded the address by simply stating: "We love America, we love American people".
