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PARIS Those Pyrénées

“The Pyrénées no longer exist,” trumpeted Louis XIV when his grandson became king of Spain, and after the recent visit of King Juan Carlos to Paris to sign a protocol of friendship and cooperation, the bon mot was recalled in a headline: “The Pyrénées no longer exist—almost.” The newspaper Le Monde went on to acclaim the provisions of the agreement, which calls for regular consultation across the board, as not only a sign of bilateral harmony but also an enhancement of Spain’s new membership in the European Common Market. This smoothing out of Franco-Spanish relations should end a period of suspicion occasioned in particular by French sanctuary for Basque terrorists. The fact that the French authorities have recently extradited three men sought by Spain and have removed “undesirable guests,” i.e., Spanish Basques who have crossed over into France, from the departments along the frontier has appeased anger in Madrid. To this process, the amiable personality of the king and his political success at home have contributed much, the paper added, hoping it would signify the end of a long period of coolness, during which, “ever since the Napoleonic wars, the two countries have confronted each other like two porcelain dogs.” The “almost” in the headline, however, refers to the fact that Spain has proved resistant to certain French commercial contracts, notably for the Airbus passenger plane, the Mirage fighter, and French subway technology.

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PARIS Those Pyrénées

“The Pyrénées no longer exist,” trumpeted Louis XIV when his grandson became king of Spain, and after the recent visit of King Juan Carlos to Paris to sign a protocol of friendship and cooperation, the bon mot was recalled in a headline: “The Pyrénées no longer exist—almost.” The newspaper Le Monde went on to acclaim the provisions of the agreement, which calls for regular consultation across the board, as not only a sign of bilateral harmony but also an enhancement of Spain’s new membership in the European Common Market. This smoothing out of Franco-Spanish relations should end a period of suspicion occasioned in particular by French sanctuary for Basque terrorists. The fact that the French authorities have recently extradited three men sought by Spain and have removed “undesirable guests,” i.e., Spanish Basques who have crossed over into France, from the departments along the frontier has appeased anger in Madrid. To this process, the amiable personality of the king and his political success at home have contributed much, the paper added, hoping it would signify the end of a long period of coolness, during which, “ever since the Napoleonic wars, the two countries have confronted each other like two porcelain dogs.” The “almost” in the headline, however, refers to the fact that Spain has proved resistant to certain French commercial contracts, notably for the Airbus passenger plane, the Mirage fighter, and French subway technology.