France refuses to agree to cuts in EU agricultural subsidies. Subsidized agriculture undermines the ability of the developing world from exporting their agricultural products in a profitable manner. The US agreed drastic cuts in its own agricultural subsidies provided the rest of the developed world follows suit. So, now the French are under fire.

This is how a story on the subject starts:

FRANCE is stopping millions of people moving out of poverty and jeopardizing world trade by its refusal to open European agricultural markets, Trade Minister Mark Vaile said.

Ouch. This at the time the French are trying to celebrate their colonial past as a time they brought progress to a region which needed it badly.