French Ambassador,
St George Street,
Port Louis
Excellency,
Dear friend,
This year, the 14 July celebration is leaving the beaten track. Your nation was busy preparing itself to celebrate 14th July, as they usually do on their national day. Macron, your President, threw cold water on their plan. He called a snap election following the disastrous outcome at the European elections when his party was routed and the far right reared its head. It was a gamble and not for the fainthearted. The big question among all lovers of France was whether the country of Liberte, Egalite and Fraternite was going to stand true to its motto and go the same way as their neighbour across the Channel who swept away the 14-year rule of the right, or would it join the majority of the European Club who have swerved to the right or extreme right?
The French electorate left us all in doubt. It had given a big win to the right in the European elections and they did the same in the first round of the national elections but to our relief and to the dismay of the RN, in the second round they said a big no. Cocorico. Vive la France. Long live Liberte, Egalite and Fraternite and bye bye to xenophobia, Islamophobia and all phobias. The French electorate saved the soul of France! This is the France all sane people love. This is the France that can justify its claim of harmony and peace to the world.
The battle is not over yet. You will have to invent another co-habitation between the centre and the left. We trust you. You have done it in the past. You still have to re-engineer it, though – your foreign policy that has been taking a beating lately outside your borders, especially in Africa, Palestine and with the Kanak who have elected someone who wants his island to cut the umbilical cord. On the other hand, the new predominantly Asian block is sailing with the wind, gathering momentum towards another world architecture. We would wish your country to play a constructive role, as it has done many times in the past, to bring to reason all protagonists together for a common cause and destiny. Excellency, there is only one world. In other words, no plan B. We do not despair. You are an old civilisation. You are the home of renowned philosophers. You have a mature polity. So, we have no worries. Let France be behind Macron as Macron’s loss may be France’s loss. Macron has succeeded where Obama has failed. Make this success last. You remember American commentators who were saying that the Harvard man had buried the right by defeating Trump. But Trump is coming back with a vengeance.
So, let us be fair to your great nation. Like all 14 July, we would like to see you all enjoy the celebrations of your national festival. And in this precious moment, I would like to wish you and your family, your country and all your nationals outside of France, joyful and prosperous holiday. May you celebrate it with a heart full of passion, patriotism, courage, and kindness!
Long Live France.
Dawood Auleear
