The Editorial

Some interference is easily talked about – Russian or Chinese, others a little less so – Azerbaijani or Algerian – and some, with a few exceptions, goes unmentioned, namely interference by the United States. I should be speaking in the past tense, since Musk’s arrival in Trump’s wake has now propelled the United States to the level of the great satan of interference, with its use of X, the famous social network (SN), being called into question.

Welcome to real life, journalist friends, for this American interference has been going on since the end of the Second World War, tempered by the time, alas too short, when General de Gaulle was in power.

My irritation comes from the latest statements by Christine Lagarde, President of the ECB, who is calling for Europe to buy more from the Americans, to avoid an economic war!

Let’s take a look at the background of the current ECB President, who advocates closer ties with the United States. After attending school/university in the USA, she forged close ties with economic and political players in her role as parliamentary assistant to William S. Cohen, a representative of the Republican Party, before working as a corporate lawyer in Paris for the American firm Baker McKenzie. The question is: whose interests does she defend first and foremost? It’s a pity that no journalist has ever asked her this troubling question, either now or in her previous positions, notably as Minister of the Economy under Sarkozy.

It is therefore legitimate to ask about American interference in European and French bodies, which many observers will call “soft power” in order to minimize the interference aspect. As far as Europe is concerned, the incestuous links between Ursula Von der Leyen and the United States can be seen in her educational background, where her time at Stanford, a major training ground for the American elite, enabled her to weave networks of relationships with the American ruling class and probably to be permeable to the dominant ideology in these circles… Not to mention her time at the German Ministry of the Armed Forces, where she favored the purchase of American equipment to the detriment of European players…

In France, if we look at our political leaders, we find as members of the “Young Leader” program, Emmanuel Macron (class of 2012), Jean-Noël Barrot (class of 2020), Amélie de Montchalin (class of 2018), we also have Pierre Moscovici (class of 1996) at the Conseil d’Etat for business personalities. There are also former ministers like Amélie Oudéa-Castera (class of 2008) or Edouard Philippe (class of 2011) or Jacques Toubon (class of 1983), defender of human rights… The so-called republican oppositions are also represented, like former president Hollande (class of 1996), Laurent Wauqiez (class of 2006), Valérie Pécresse (class of 2002) and Nicolas Dupont-Aignan (class of 2001). These are just a few emblematic examples, but there are other personalities who carry weight in political life, such as Alain Minc (class of 1983-84).

This network of leading French personalities, who at the very least have a penchant for the USA and at worst are under its influence, may explain why at times (and increasingly so) economic or social policy is imbued with American ideology, allowing American interests to be defended, even to the detriment of national interests.

It’s time to put some order into these networks. As for any checks and balances, particularly journalists, it would be appropriate to ask the people concerned for explanations and to question their decisions in the light of this bias.

Alas, these major conflicts of interest don’t seem to pose any problem for our intelligentsia to date. Who knows if the arrival of Trump might awaken consciences? And, as a citizen, doesn’t this concern you? Is it normal to have a political class that is most likely under influence? Doesn’t part of our problems stem from this harmful influence?