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Britain's first attempt to get into the EU was vetoed by de Gaulle; a strange was of repaying the UK's effort in getting France a permanent seat on the UN secur

Britain's first attempt to get into the EU was vetoed by de Gaulle; a strange was of repaying the UK's effort in getting France a permanent seat on the UN security council in 1945.

achamayou 8y ago
Twice in fact, in 63 and 67. His motivations, which he explained at length in a press conference that’s easy to find online were that the U.K. was only interested in a strictly limited free trade union, and wanted an extremely bespoke deal, excluding farming etc. That never really changed, although Britain eventually gave up most of these conditions, when they finally joined.
- gonvaled 8y ago
  In hindsight, it is clear now that he was extremely prescient. What an accurate analisys of a major geopolitical event!
  - nolok 8y ago
    I'm pretty sure De Gaulle was a time traveller, because a lot of calls he made were that way; "okayish" when they were made but jump 20 years forward and suddenly it's clear as day. Sadly he was maybe a little too good at it, because now my country is frozen in an incessant quest to find a new De Gaulle; we can't accept the idea that politician - even president - are flawed and make mistakes, so we call all of them "bad", "wrong choice", ... That's why our president always have rock bottom public opinion.
- Bric3d 8y ago
  And also that he viewed the UK as a pawn of the US.
  - ionised 8y ago
    Seems he was correct in this too.
- seszett 8y ago
  > That never really changed, although Britain eventually gave up most of these conditions, when they finally joined. And then still left eventually (well, this is in progress) because of exactly these reasons. De Gaulle was absolutely right on this.
TomK32 8y ago
Just shows that the leaders of war-time should retire after the peace treaty. Britain elected Labour right after the war and though rationing kept going for quite a while, the peace-time government created such brilliant things like the NHS.
- baud147258 8y ago
  De Gaulle retired from the governement after the war, he was back in power by election in the 60s

Britain's first attempt to get into the EU was vetoed by de Gaulle; a strange was of repaying the UK's effort in getting France a permanent seat on the UN security council in 1945.

achamayou 8y ago

Twice in fact, in 63 and 67. His motivations, which he explained at length in a press conference that’s easy to find online were that the U.K. was only interested in a strictly limited free trade union, and wanted an extremely bespoke deal, excluding farming etc. That never really changed, although Britain eventually gave up most of these conditions, when they finally joined.

gonvaled 8y ago
In hindsight, it is clear now that he was extremely prescient. What an accurate analisys of a major geopolitical event!
- nolok 8y ago
  I'm pretty sure De Gaulle was a time traveller, because a lot of calls he made were that way; "okayish" when they were made but jump 20 years forward and suddenly it's clear as day. Sadly he was maybe a little too good at it, because now my country is frozen in an incessant quest to find a new De Gaulle; we can't accept the idea that politician - even president - are flawed and make mistakes, so we call all of them "bad", "wrong choice", ... That's why our president always have rock bottom public opinion.
Bric3d 8y ago
And also that he viewed the UK as a pawn of the US.
- ionised 8y ago
  Seems he was correct in this too.
seszett 8y ago
> That never really changed, although Britain eventually gave up most of these conditions, when they finally joined. And then still left eventually (well, this is in progress) because of exactly these reasons. De Gaulle was absolutely right on this.

TomK32 8y ago

Just shows that the leaders of war-time should retire after the peace treaty. Britain elected Labour right after the war and though rationing kept going for quite a while, the peace-time government created such brilliant things like the NHS.

baud147258 8y ago
De Gaulle retired from the governement after the war, he was back in power by election in the 60s