Wimbledon against Danone if I summarized

Dear Nicolas,

No. offense. I am not very sure that write to the President of the French Republic is very authorized, especially since I see appear to be portraits of you in Napoleon. Home, in Britain, this raises a few suspicions. I am merely a modest engineer British eh Yes, it is and I would like confess you my real confusion.

In March of last year, you go visit to Her Majesty The Queen at Windsor. You were only excitement for our country. Its economic model. Yet, all was not rosy, already at this time, we. You've been waiting to copy our example and you run the "friendly agreement". And that is that the other day, talking to the French on television, throw us in our industry gone figure. Well, it's fun, at the time where I am writing, BBC broadcasts images of the "Clemenceau" docking at Hartlepool, for his "removal". A contract won the beard of the shipyards of Bordeaux, if I understand. A ghost for a ghost, the symbol industry boat is easy...

Our statisticians, I know, you have already proved, in support, that the contribution of our respective industries to the economy of the France and the United Kingdom were roughly equivalent. Two peas in the same pod, as they say here. But I understand the reason for your skepticism. It remains the United Kingdom factories; It's just that many no longer belong. And you the French, with Saint-Gobain or EDF, have not been the last to benefit from the opening of our borders...

Our doctrines are the very opposite. Wimbledon against Danone, if I summarized. Point for us is that Wimbledon remains the largest world tennis tournament, even if not a British player has won to it for decades. We left Jaguar Land Rover and other Pilkington pass under foreign flags, because their buyers invested in the Midlands. You the Frenchies, you are covered with ridicule by drawing up barbed wire around Danone: strategic yoghurt...

Now, I do not seek to deny it, our industry is going wrong. Like yours. Except that our companies have an asset: the pound sterling. Monetary Europe At every time we win, we the British. When you have created the euro, the single currency was the heyday of the City. And even if banks are operating are almost all foreign, they and their employees pay (I) Her Majesty Revenue & Customs taxes ent.

Now that the recession settles, the diving of the book will restore a little oxygen to our poor BAE and AstraZeneca. And the most beautiful This competitive devaluation is compatible with EU competition rules. While your automotive stimulus plan, he is raising eyebrows in Brussels... In short, with the euro, we have our cake and can eat. I think you're saying: "Having butter and butter money."

But I don't want to seem too critical. Because, in truth, we, on this side of the Channel are very admiring of the France. Its cuisine, its soil, its values. In particular, I welcome, "hat in hand", the consistency with which you want to destroy your financial industry. Not a President or a French Minister since the beginning of the last century, who have vilified bankers. It is now the hallali. During this time, our political leaders politely asked the City: "How can we help". Of course, we were too far and we are paying the high price today.

Specifically. The City is dying. Royal Bank of Scotland and HBOS, our Scottish florets, are (almost) nationalized. You have the chance to have such as Société Générale, BNP Paribas and Credit Agricole banks that were far less silly than their competitors. You may take advantage when we are on the ground to try to revive the place of Paris. Finance will leave well one day, even if this is not at the levels of before. And no, this is that you are the first to provide bonuses for traders, to discourage forever to come and work between the Opera and the Grande Arche. Admirable.

I don't want to enter into the debate on the morality of the premiums. I believe that we must indeed change the culture of "banksters". It's just that your naive confuses me. Our Prime Minister Gordon Brown is not the last to indignation of indecent premiums paid in the City. But you'll notice that, for the moment, it merely fine words. It will be well if London and New York follow you at the next G20. I want to believe. Best regards.