EUROPE: "The coddle and protect policy: France's sneaky plan to continue Europe's farming follies," by Charlemagne, The Economist, 22 November 2008.

Credit Sarkozy with taking on big issues (Caucasus, world financial crisis, etc.), but then condemn him for sleazy backdoor dealings designed to protect the EU ag subsidies.

French ran a recent EU farm ministers meeting to plot the common ag policy (CAP) beyond 2013, when the EU's next multiyear budget drill begins. With the G-20 leaders promising a restart of Doha at the recent DC summit, Sarkozy seems to be engineering an economic stab-in-the-back.

The tool is France's notion of maintaining "regional cohesion" in agriculture, a logic that says France must ensure the future of farming in every department (regional unit) of the state. To do that, France currently pulls twice as much money out of the EU's CAP program as any other member state.

That, plus the "sneakiest language" regarding the "wholesomeness" of the EU's food indicates that France is intent on blocking any advance within Doha on the question of agriculture.

Too bad. Sarkozy was looking like a real global leader, but this indicates he's the same old, same old French nationalist when push comes to shove. More to the point, he simply indulges France's "olive tree" obsessions.