Two French Evenments Of Note

I'll start with the more straightforward, satisfying one: former president Jacques Chirac will be investigated over allegations of corruption during his time as mayor of Paris (same period: Saddam Hussein's ami). Corruption (as well as latent antisemitism and/or pro-Arab sentiments) were among the primary reasons the French so opposed our invasion of Iraq.

In other news, France has thrown up additional obstacles to Turkey's quest to join the European Union. Sarkozy has been unflinchingly and unapologetically opposed to Turkish entry. I'm torn on this issue; I've debated it ad nauseum with a Turkish friend of mine who is fervently nationalist and staunchly secular, as well as pro-EU. On the one hand, I understand why Turkey so desperately wants to join the club - partially for its perceived economic benefits (especially the open markets) and partially as a fulfillment of its European-looking Kemalist legacy. I also feel that as Turkey's stability is repeatedly questioned (has been the case for decades, just today it's Islamism and not the secular military), tying it closer to Europe could be beneficial. But there are also pressing questions. On the one hand, is Turkey really eligible to join the EU? There are of course questions of culture and religion (which, given demographic trends in Europe, are becoming increasingly superfluous) but also questions about whether Turkey can actually make the prerequisite reforms. There is also an argument to be made that Turkey shouldn't bother joining the EU, that the union's hyper-regulatory nature is antithetical to Turkey's interests.

But let's be honest: if worst-case scenarios for both Europe and Turkey are accurate - that is to say that if Europe is fated to become Islamic and Turkey's secularism is doomed, then isn't Turkey's formal entry to the EU sort of a moot point? They'll all be in the ummah together.