Maurice Couve de Murville Quotes

Deep down, the ordinary Frenchman doesn't believe that Turks, or Eastern Europeans for that matter, cherish the values he holds most dear. Nor do the French much trust that the Germans and the British have French interests at heart. Given European history -- and given what I see around me -- I can't say I blame them.

The British have never historically thought of themselves as being European. The average Britain has much more in common with an American than with a Frenchman.

A country grows in history not only because of the heroism of its troops on the field of battle, it grows also when it turns to justice and to right for the conservation of its interests.

We are going to liberate Europe, but that’s because the Americans are with us to do it. For, understand this, every time we must choose between Europe and the open sea, we will always choose the open sea. Every time that I have to choose between you and Roosevelt, I will always choose Roosevelt.

France does not pretend to base her interests on disregard for the interests of others. France possesses a special standing in Morocco.

Many of our European partners have ambitions that are not generally shared by the British.

When Paris sneezes, Europe catches a cold.

It is time to stop pretending that Europeans and Americans share a common view of the world, or even that they occupy the same world.

We [the French] have to keep defending our vital interests …, we can say no, alone, to anything that may be unacceptable.

We had to avoid wounding Austria too severely; we had to avoid leaving behind in her any unnecessary bitterness of feeling or desire for revenge; we ought rather to reserve the possibility of becoming friends again with our adversary of the moment, and in any case to regard the Austrian state as a piece on the European chessboard and the renewal of friendly relations as a move open to us. If Austria were severely injured, she would become the ally of France and of every other opponent of ours; she would even sacrifice her anti-Russian interests for the sake of revenge on Prussia.

Europeans want America to be like Europe. But America will never be like Europe. She is the daughter of Europe but she left home when 18 years old and never came back.

You should never make alliances with a decadent nation like France and a semi-barbarous nation like Russia

I will protect and defend France's vital interests. I will protect and defend Europe.

I have absolutely no doubt that there is an intense anti-Americanism in all Western Europe, and I think the reason for that is a very, very simple one.

The Americans are trying to expand their influence in the world, particularly in Europe. They are defending their own interests, not ours.

It is not a sensible or intelligent response for us in Europe to ridicule American arguments and parody their political leadership.

My accent does slip. When I arrived in England in 1978 at 18, I was shocked to find myself 'the American' at RADA. The English and the Americans have an intense relationship. They helped us out in the Second World War.

The U.K. outside of the European Union will end up being a mid-sized economy, somewhere in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean, in neither America nor Europe.

I consider that France does not have to submit to the calendar of the United States, so I want France to leave the integrated command of NATO.

I see no reason why France and Britain should not have excellent relations - we are old allies.

The foreign policy of the Democrats is bad for Europe and deadly for Hungary. In contrast, the foreign policy of the Republicans and proclaimed by presidential candidate Trump is good for Europe and means life for Hungary.

When I served as US Ambassador to NATO in the 1970s, the center of gravity in Europe was France and Germany.

What worries me, especially, is that public opinion over here is patting itself on the back every morning and thanking God for theAtlantic Ocean (and the Pacific Ocean). We greatly underestimate the serious implications to our own future.... Things move with such terrific speed these days, that it is really essential to us to think in broader terms and, in effect, to warn the American people that they, too, should think of possible ultimate results in Europe and the Far East.

Europe and the United States are not the whole world.

Though a wide ocean separates the United States from Europe, yet there are various considerations that warn us against an excess of confidence or security.