France warns Belgium not to print €2 coin commemorating French defeat at Waterloo, so Belgium prints it on a €2.50 coin instead

As a French who lived in the UK (studied in Bristol and worked in London) and still read English news quite often:

English & French still "hate" each other (especially during sport events) but French people only do so for English people not the other British countries. English people on the other hand trully have a problem of ego over us. Very often, English tabloids are comparing themselves with France (and rarely the other way around). London is the main French city abroad (something like 2millions French are living there). Many people go work there to escape our socialist system and to work in their financial institutions (1/3 of the workers are actually French which is huge knowing the size of finance services in the UK economy).

English are trully arrogants over their history (ask Scotland and Ireland if you don't believe me), and weirdly Americans are supporting them in their stupidity (that is actually not that weird in fact...). England has a terrible complex of inferiority against France (should we call ourselves "Great France" to compete?). We have been their only friend to play with over thousands of years. And we beat them every single time they try (and they've tried many times often with half France on their side). For centuries English nobelty was solely speaking French (they didn't even bother speaking English), France was the main ally of Scotland, Napoleon had chosen to cross Europe against Russia instead of crossing the "English channel" (lol that name though, don't worry we won't take it, now breath guys) etc.

France on the other hand, has way to many friends to deal with (we are probably the worst located country in the world in term of crazy neighbours). We often compare ourselves with Switzerland or Germany or Italy even(a bit less though) in the news (sometimes UK too but rarely as they are way too liberal for us). We are well aware of the British history (but still they don't give a fuck about our) and recognize many qualities they have/had (their major role in both WW as our only trustworthy ally but not only).

France hate England less than the other way around (Americains want to be part of the game too but we ignore them :D). While we don't have that attitude toward Germany (even after a century of war against them).

IMO, everyone (in Western Europe + USA/Canada therefor reddit) hate France for being the strongest nation through our long History. To see us as surrenders is the proof of their respective strength. It is not a new idea, Aristotle was already quoting the Frenchs (celtics in his letter to Nicomac) as the most courageaous warriors in the World (his world was rather small, England nor Germany weren't even in it). The Roman Empire had been traumatised by the Gaules invasion of Rome, Nazi Germany, etc.

WWII was just the last war (I hope so) of thousand of years of conflicts for France (at least as a major nation). And believe it or not, against all odds, we won most of the time.

/r/worldnews Thread Parent Link - nytimes.com