Berlusconi jokes about war with France

Yahoo News ^ | Mar 24,2006

[AmericanMade1776]

BRUSSELS (Reuters) - Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi joked about declaring war on France on Friday and pretended to massage President Jacques Chirac, making light of a clash between their two countries over energy mergers.

Leaving for the second day of European Union summit, Berlusconi told reporters: "There is no news, unless you journalists want us to declare war on France."

Inside the conference room, the Italian leader walked up to the seated Chirac and put his hands on the French president's shoulders in what looked like a neck-rub, prompting a startled laugh.

Tension between France and Italy has risen since the Paris government engineered a hasty merger between state-owned Gaz de France and private French utility Suez to fend off a feared bid from Italy's Enel.

Diplomats had expected Berlusconi, trailing centre-left ex- European Commission President Romano Prodi in opinion polls ahead of an April 9-10 general election, to use the summit to attack the French action.

In the event, he focussed his public comments on attacks against Prodi and insisted that he would confound the polls and win re-election.

[AmericanMade1776]

Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi, rear, walks by French President Jacques Chirac, front left, during a round table meeting at an EU summit in Brussels, Friday March 24, 2006. European Union leaders condemned the latest crackdown against opposition protesters by Belarusian authorities Friday, and were expected to endorse a move to slap new sanctions against top officials there for what they called 'fundamentally flawed' elections. Seated right is French Foreign Minister Philippe Douste Blazy. (AP Photo/Yves Logghe)

[AmericanMade1776]

Italy's war with France is over when Sneak Attack on France, scared the French to Surrender.

[trubluolyguy]

I heard France just surrendered at the joke, just to be on the safe side.

[AmericanMade1776]

Chirac quickly looks for a White Flag.

[AmericanMade1776]

I mean, who hasn't joked about war with France?

[Casekirchen]

Has France surrendered yet?

[Sloth]

Heck, war with France IS a joke.

[AmericanMade1776]

I don't even think France " has begun to fight yet"

[AmericanMade1776]

"It's no surprise the French won't help us get Saddam Hussein out of Iraq. They didn't help us get Germany out of France, either. Still, it's essential for them to join us in the war against Iraq. They can teach the Iraqis how to surrender." --- Jay Leno

[Fiji Hill]

Isn't "I Surrender, Dear" the French national anthem?

[dead]

Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi joked about declaring war on France

He just thought it would be funny to see Chirac wet himself.

[Casekirchen]

"I don't even think France " has begun to fight yet" "

--- They can fight?

[LK44-40]

Berlusconi told reporters: "There is no news, unless you journalists want us to declare war on France."

I am reminded of a line from Goodfellas: "That wouldn't be a bad idea."

[HitmanLV]

Nice to see he is in good spirits. I've heard he and his party are waltzing into a bloodletting in the next election.

They have said the same about the GOP for years, so I take it with a grain of salt.

[AmericanMade1776]

The surest way to get France to surrender is to declare war on them.

[ArrogantBustard]

1) Berlusconi looks like my grandfather.

2) He seems to have the same slightly warped sense of humour.

[AmericanMade1776]

Well the French Motto for fighting is "Stop, Drop, and Run!"

[Incorrigible]

I've just signed legislation outlawing France... The bombing starts in 10 minutes!

[seamusnh]

I am not too comfortable when these Euros start joking about going to war. Twice we've had to go over to Europe and keep them from killing each other off. If they start a war again (if they are even capable of waging war anymore), we will be leaving them on their own... We have enough to do with the war on terrorists...