Villepin Advocates Int’l Collaboration

Prime Minister of France Dominique de Villepin said the U.S. must work with Europe to solve the crisis in Iraq and advocated pulling American troops out of the war zone within a year, during an appearance Friday afternoon before a packed forum at the Institute of Politics.

Framed by the French, European, and U.S. flags, Villepin called upon the United States and France to use their history as allies and common democratic values to combat instability in the Middle East.

Villepin emphasized that taking responsibility in the region is necessary to restore global equilibrium.

“I think the lack of world order is the real threat,” he said. “Competition among our states is in no one’s interest. The only possible road is our cooperation.”

Villepin, a longtime critic of the American military presence in Iraq, described the war as “a turning point” that eroded the global clout of the U.S. and hurt the cause of democracy.

“It shattered America’s image. It undermined the image of the West as a whole. It is time for the United States and Europe to regain together the respect and admiration of other people,” he said.

Pointing to the growing number of conflicts in the Middle East, Villepin said that U.S. unilateralism was not working and encouraged solidarity between the United States and Europe in tackling international conflicts.

“Europe is the United States’ only political ally,” he said. “It is up to us to build a partnership of equals...It is in the U.S.’ best interest to have a Europe that is not submissive but strong and responsive.”

Villepin called the respect of individual rights and different identities “the best response democracy can make against terrorism.”

But during the question-and-answer period after his speech, Villepin was asked to address France’s own record in upholding democratic values when confronted with its Muslim population.

In the fall of 2005, riots erupted across France in immigrant enclaves, sparking debate about integration and discrimination, and the country has come under fire for banning the wearing of headscarves in public schools.

In explaining the French policy, Villepin stressed the ideal of “recognizing citizens, not communities,” that came out of the 1789 French Revolution.

“The problem is, how can we be consistent to our values, to our universal republic, and at the same time find personal and collective answers to each case?” he said. “I believe it’s very important in our society to make sure that common values, universal values, should be at the heart of our system because they are the best answers.”

But he said that despite the apparent rejection of Western values in the Middle East, there is hope for the future.

“There is a lot of reason to feel pessimistic about the Middle East. But we have also today some possibility there that should help us to see the future of the region,” he said, citing Syria as an example of a nation that could profit economically from stability.

Addressing the students in the audience as “the elite of international education,” he suggesting bringing “Harvard along in our way.”

“Let’s show that we have strong proposals and strong convictions. There is no power in standing alone. There is only organized shared power,” Villepin said.

Laura H. Chirot ’08, who studied in Paris last semester, said she was impressed by the prime minister’s ability to articulate his national ideals of citizens assimilating to a French identity, but also noted that his vocal endorsement of European and United Nations’ military force went against mainstream European ideals.

“He was critical of Europe in a way that not all European politicians are willing to be,” Chirot said.

—Claire M. Guehenno contributed to the reporting of this story.
—Staff writer Brenda C. Maldonado can be reached at bmaldon@fas.harvard.edu.