We must not allow… a diva gap!! [UPDATED]
In honor of General Buck Turgidson, I see that the French are pulling away in the diva arms race as the London G-20 Summit approaches: France will walk away from this week’s G20 summit if its demands for stricter financial regulation are not met, the finance minister has told the BBC. Christine Lagarde told HardTalk ...
In honor of General Buck Turgidson, I see that the French are pulling away in the diva arms race as the London G-20 Summit approaches:
France will walk away from this week's G20 summit if its demands for stricter financial regulation are not met, the finance minister has told the BBC.
In honor of General Buck Turgidson, I see that the French are pulling away in the diva arms race as the London G-20 Summit approaches:
France will walk away from this week’s G20 summit if its demands for stricter financial regulation are not met, the finance minister has told the BBC.
Christine Lagarde told HardTalk that President Nicolas Sarkozy would not sign any agreement if he felt “the deliverables are not there”.
This is yet another example of France’s unsurpassed superiority in world politics at doing things that make the global press pay attention to France.
One could argue that the United States should concentrate its energies on actual policy coordination. Any great power worth its salt, however, should be able to do the policy coordination and practice diva bargaining tactics.
I therefore propose that President Obama add Miss Britney Spears to the U.S. negotiating team. Let France try to make its voice heard in that media maelstrom.
Other proposals to counter France’s bargaining tactics are warmly welcomed in the comments.
UPDATE: To be fair to Sarkozy, he is not the only Frenchmen who is grandstanding at the moment.
Bryan Bedder/Getty Images
Daniel W. Drezner is a professor of international politics at the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University, where he is the co-director of the Russia and Eurasia Program. Twitter: @dandrezner
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