In France, all is quiet on the Rafale front as no one wants to antagonise the military–industrial lobby
“IN FRANCE, the Rafale deal has been described as the contract of the century,” said investigative journalist Antton Rouget of the French online journal Mediapart, which triggered the ongoing controversy with its exposé. In India, people wonder whether the deal is becoming the scandal of the century.
Long before piercing the skies of China or Pakistan, Rafale—which means gust or burst, like in machine gun fire—has blasted into the Indian political firmament, propelling the squadrons of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Congress president Rahul Gandhi into combat manoeuvres.
But, in France, the situation is calm. “Since our revelations, the subject has gradually settled in France,” said Rouget in an exclusive interview with THE WEEK. “There is traditionally an omertà in France on topics related to armament contracts. The deeply entrenched military–industrial lobby is very powerful. There is a lot of money involved and little information is available.”
C’est la vie. That’s life in France.
French politicians don’t wrangle if the mighty defence lobby is involved. “Minister of Foreign Affairs Jean-Yves Le Drian, who was minister of defence for former president François Hollande, is a fervent supporter of Rafale,” said Rouget.
So there is neither frenzy nor follow up on Mediapart’s revelations. Manufacturers of fighter jets face stiff competition. Jobs, regional communities and economic growth are involved. Dassault Aviation employs 11,400 people, of whom 9,300 are from France. Nobody in France wishes to create turbulence in its aviation industry.
この記事は THE WEEK の November 25, 2018 版に掲載されています。
7 日間の Magzter GOLD 無料トライアルを開始して、何千もの厳選されたプレミアム ストーリー、8,500 以上の雑誌や新聞にアクセスしてください。
すでに購読者です ? サインイン
この記事は THE WEEK の November 25, 2018 版に掲載されています。
7 日間の Magzter GOLD 無料トライアルを開始して、何千もの厳選されたプレミアム ストーリー、8,500 以上の雑誌や新聞にアクセスしてください。
すでに購読者です? サインイン
Stop ruling; start governing
In every election the voters elect a government.
HEALING THE EARTH
Land Restoration for a Drought-Resilient Future
Speak of the nawab
For Heeramandi's male lead, Taha Shah, the road to success was paved with flops
Northern delights
Four Kashmiri fashion labels that want to put the troubled region on the international style map
WOOING THE WAVES
India is developing strategic ports overseas and is exploring new oceanic trade routes to pursue its growing geopolitical objectives
TIPU, SULTAN!
In his first major election after the death of Mulayam Singh Yadav, Akhilesh humbles the BJP and proves he is his own man
A SLEEPER HIT
Naidu’s stunning victory raises questions about the vote-catching power of welfare schemes
SWEEPING LOSS
AAP’s disappointing performance has put a question mark on its relevance in the INDIA bloc
INDEPENDENTS' DAY
The Lok Sabha results in Baramulla and Ladakh reflect a churning among voters
Voters have changed, and we have benefited
In March 2022, Vice President Venkaiah Naidu asked a quirky question to actor-MP Suresh Gopi, who had come to the Rajya Sabha with a distinctive look.