European Policy of General Charles de Gaulle in the French Public Opinion

• Author: Ioana Panagoret
• Position: Valahia University of Targoviste
• Pages: 330-334

European Integration - Realities and Perspectives

2010

330

European Policy of General Charles de

Gaulle in the French Public Opinion

Ioana Panagoret

“Valahia” University of Targoviste, ioana_panagoret@yahoo.com

Abstract: General de Gaulle's policy of Construction of Europe can be understood only in the light of his

convictions, that reconsideration of 1958, when he returned to power, had inspired his foreign policy.

Although the General had not a vision about t he Construction of Europe, according to public opinion he was

often perceived as a real Europeanist ( in 1965 - 3 of 5 French people considered De Gaulle the champion of

European unity, and even in Ma rch 1969 half of French people considered him a convinced Europeanist).

Talking about institutional evolution after the General de Gaulle has left the power, the thesis he argued on

the role of other countries have r esumed by other countries and confirmed by facts. In act ual Community, the

Commission plays an important role of initiative and boost, but the essential decisions become obligations for

the states.

Keywords: France; General de Gaulle; Construction of Europe; poll; public opinion

French policy during General de Gaulle’s period was marked by attempting to set on a communitary

Europe, at least economically, an European ... Europe, enlarged from the six countries in the East and

independency toward the antagonist two blocks.

Affirming a poli cy on U.S. national-independence namely - French withdrawl from NATO in 1960 -

France strenghtened its position and attracts sympathy of small states, the USSR and its allies and

friendship with China. Despite its success in the nuclear field, France has no means of its policy. The

third World Latin American, Arabian or African needn’t good words, but factories, industrial products

and technology. France does not produce enough, or some, even t hough other and evolved during its

Fifth Republic; the French industry was inferiorto German industry, which in 1960 reached a potential

three-fold. The economical weakness of the country did not allow de Gaulle too much in his foreign

policy, often he succeeded in France than to irritate the U.S. and German industry to open the gate to

German industry. The Czech crisis in 1968 strongly emphasized the limits of Gaullist diplomacy,

especially in 1969, when President de Gaulle is defeated in a referendum in April 27 and retired to

Colombey, although the prestige of France was spread all over the world.

Jean - Marc - Boegner former diplomatic adviser to General de Gaulle and France's representative

besides European Communities emphasiyes in the volume De Gaulle en son siècle, that General’s

policy regarding Construction of Europe can not be understand in light of his beliefs than

reconsidering his convictions, even in 1958, when he returned to power, have inspired his foreign

policy. At the European policy of the General stood a few principles, which were allowed to mark the

European construction process, and predict a “Europe from the Atlantic to the Urals”.

General de Gaulle's declaration regarding the existence of “Two large hegemony” led after 1945 to

escape the influence of France policy pervailing the United States since 1945 and also the European

mistrust of NATO and communities. As was true that General de Gaulle fostered an undisguised

aversion toward integrating concepts of Supranational and at certain levels have inspired three treaties

of the European Communities creating institutions without the control states. This should not be

interpreted as an objection in principle to build a Union of Europe but as a goal to be achieved through

the free cooperation of states.