by Jeremy Josephs, Freelance Writer and Journalist,

josephs3@wanadoo.fr

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In an exclusive interview for LIVING FRANCE, Liberal Democrat leader speaks to Jeremy Josephs:

• What was the atmosphere like on election night?

We went back to our village in France, after the election. It was the fête d’assomption - they had laid on a grande fête for me - it was great. I was treated as a hero - as if I had become Prime Minister myself.

• Have you always been a franco-phile?

I only went to France when I was 33. A franco-phile from that day on. France has become my second home. I have a small place in a village in Burgundy. My daughter has married a Frenchman from the next door village and I now have a French grandson. They live in a village just south of the city of Sens. So my grandson Matthias will grow up bi-lingual. He was born in the middle of the election. In fact I should think that he is just about the only French citizen who has been the number 1 item on both ITN, BBC and Sky news! I don’t like to name the village. We have a number of really dear friends there - its a second home - un petit asile, as they say. Jane and I holidayed there back in 1987, fell in love with the area. It has changed our lives. I am now a half French family - it provides me with all the peace, comradeship, friendship and fun that I have when I am not doing politics. Plus I am a passionate fan of French ski slopes.

• You have reputation for being skilled with languages: does this stretch to French?

The truth is that when I was at school I got 5 out of 200 for O level French. And my school report said that ‘this boy will never learn languages’. But what I have discovered is that if I have a gift for anything its for languages - I was just badly taught. I learned Malay. During my army days I was the only person in my commando who could speak Malay - this is when I was in Borneo. And because of that I was sent off to live with head-hunters. I learned their language - dyak - too. Then I taught myself Chinese at night school in Singapore and subsequently took a first class degree in Chinese when I was in Hong Kong. I have learned German and French too. But I am a little rusty on all of them. I do manage to get by in French though - no problems there at all.

• Your party has come out passionately in favour of building the new Europe. But do you envisage a United States of Europe? And what about the so-called F-word?

Well, federalist is an English word - and yet we seem to be the only people who fail to understand its meaning. Federalism means decentralised, diverse, democratic. In Great Britain we seem to go about saying precisely the opposite. I have no difficulty with that word. But I don’t think that we are going to be creating a United States of Europe - not least because the individual national differences in Europe are part of Europe’s flowers. Lets not crush them out. The French aren’t going to ditch being French for goodness sake. So in my view it is possible to be federalist without being for some kind of European super-state.

• So you are in favour of there being a pooling of sovereignty?

Yes - but not as a matter of principle. The test is quite simple: is it to the benefit to the nation states of Europe to do so? That’s what the German Supreme court said - and quite rightly so.

• Could you be a little more precise?

Yes, of course. Would it be of benefit to pool sovereignty when it comes to environmental pollution? Yes it would, because pollution is no respecter of national boundaries. When it comes to defence? Yes, we have done this with Nato for 50 years. When it comes to creating stronger competition? Yes. When it comes to creating a European jumbo-system of social security? No. A European bureaucracy administering fishing grounds? No. So lets get in there, get round the table and start discussing all of these issue - but in a positive spirit from within.

• Do you get hassled by the press when you are in France?

Well I do like to keep my family out of politics. In fact I went to great lengths to protect my family’s privacy during the election campaign. But you know what the press are - I hardly have to tell you - they seem to be able to find out anything. I do go to France regularly and when I do there is not a particular hoo-hah about my arrival - its all rather relaxed. That’s why we take all of our holidays there. Plus should there be any problems which crop up, my wife can get there right away.

• France seems to be taking quite a lot longer than a number of other European countries to emerge from recession. Plus unemployment is worryingly high. Do you not think that the French need a Thatcherite type of figure to take on some of the fundamental changes which most people agree are necessary?

History will say that Mrs Thatcher was the demolition squad - we had old rotten buildings - the old structure of corporate Britain. They had to be raised to the ground. She created the building site upon which the rest of us now have to build. Personally I think it could have been done differently. I don’t think it had to be as painful as it was. Do they need a demolition squad in France? I think not. Because the French have an amazing capacity to use architecture, if I may use that as a metaphor - to take the old and combine it with the new. Maybe they can be less destructive. But if France will not change - liberalisation of their markets, dismantling of the corporate state - then change will be imposed upon them by the power of the global market. And that will be very painful indeed. There is a greater sense of civic spirit, of collectivism, in the benign sense, that is - and these are great things. But France is too corporatist, its markets are too protective - and the size and complexity of some of its state bureaucracies are not what is needed in the modern age.

• What about the National Front?

Its because of the weakness of political leadership. This snake has to be stamped on right from the start. And its true that no one is taking on this dragon in France - which is dangerous indeed.

• Your party has long advocate a fundamental overhaul of Britain’s electoral system and the introduction of a proportional system of voting? But wouldn’t such as system be a disaster in France, where the National Front is running at some 15%?

Let them be seen, be open, and fight against them. Debate them down. There is no perfect electoral system. In the UK you can have the full power of government at 35%. This hatred is awful - that’s what we do when we want to reinforce ourselves.

• So how would you sum up the impact of your relationship with France and all things French?

Well, I am British and proud of it. I would never be anything else. But its given an extra dimension to my life - its a great country - wonderfully varied geography, wonderful food, wonderful wines, wonderful weather. What more do you want? And I have found the people exceedingly warm and friendly. Britain has a love hate relationship with France. For me the love is dominant - there’s absolutely no doubt about that.

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