Will France (Reuben) Divide Europe?

On May 6, 2012 France elected François Hollande as the new president, ousting Nicolas Sarkozy.  Mr. Hollande, a socialist, has pledged to reverse the course set by Mr. Sarkozy and German Chancellor Angela Merkel (BBC News, May 7, 2012).   France is a leading nation in Europe, but its fluctuating governmental policies may force Germany to assume a more dominant role in Europe.

The outcome of this election is “the victory that both Angela Merkel and the markets had feared: French voters on Sunday night elected François Hollande, who has pledged to halt Europe’s austerity measures and renegotiate the European Union’s fiscal pact.”  The Germans have warned that “the president-elect should clarify that he will not follow through with his campaign promise to change the European Union fiscal pact, a deal reached earlier this year that forces signatories to anchor balanced-budget measures in their constitutions and halt deficit spending in order to stabilize the common currency” (Der Spiegel, May 5, 2012).  

This abrupt change in France’s policy is in keeping with Bible prophecies about Reuben (the ancestor of the French).  Jacob told his son Reuben that in the latter days he would have dignity and power, but he would be unstable as water (Genesis 49:3-4).  

Daniel prophesied that the ten toes (kingdoms or nations) of the last revival of the Roman Empire would be an unstable mixture of iron and clay—partly strong and partly fragile (Daniel 2:41-42).  The recent French election will aggravate the already strained relations between nations in the EU and may further divide France and Germany.

For more information on this important topic, read our free Tomorrow’s World article “The End of Liberté?”