Franco-Irish 'solidarity' can help overcome difficulties

THE CLOSE historical friendship between Ireland and France makes it easier for the two countries to resolve today’s economic problems, a prominent French politician has said.

Yves Deniaud, a member of the French national assembly, said that while the euro crisis was the main item on the agenda between Ireland and France, the relationship had a “superior dimension” rooted in underlying goodwill.

“In the economy, it’s not just about calculation. Affection and solidarity – what we call a communion of spirit – can truly defeat the difficulties we have in front of us,” he said.

Mr Deniaud, who belongs to President Nicolas Sarkozy’s UMP party, was speaking on Saturday at the opening of a new exhibition on military links between France and the Irish.

Hosted by the Musée de l’Armée at Les Invalides in Paris, the exhibition traces three centuries of battlefield co-operation, beginning with the Irish regiments that fought for France in the 17th century and concluding with recent co-operation between the French and Irish armies on the United Nations mission in Chad.

It features material on the flight of the “Wild Geese” to France in the 17th century, and one of their descendants – Patrice MacMahon – who became president of the French republic in 1873.

Display panels cover the involvement of the Irish who fought in the first and second World Wars, with special attention given to the Irish women and men who worked for the French resistance during the Nazi occupation.

It says that a striking characteristic of Irish involvement in the resistance is the high number of women activists, which was well above average. Many of them worked as couriers or operated escape networks.

Minister for Transport Leo Varadkar, who spoke at the opening of the exhibition, said it was a reminder of the longstanding warmth between Ireland and France at a time when policy disagreements and Irish emigrants’ focus on English-speaking countries has caused links to “dissipate a little bit”.

“Those links are there, and we need to always remember that the two countries are close friends, and the peoples are close friends,” he said. France is Ireland’s second-largest market in the world for food and drink and the third-largest for indigenous companies.

Exports to France by Irish firms and tourist numbers from France to Ireland both saw double-digit growth last year.

Guests at the opening included Ceann Comhairle Seán Barrett, Olivia Mitchell and David Stanton of Fine Gael, Labour’s Jack Wall and Barry Cowen of Fianna Fáil. The exhibition will be open to the public until April 29th.