Chirac left with oeuf on his face

The Daily Telegraph ^ | July 6, 2005 | Anton La Guardia, Toby Helm and Philip Johnston

[MadIvan]

Tony Blair and President Jacques Chirac of France were heading for a clash on free trade and global warming at the G8 summit tonight after flying half-way across the world in their bitter contest to host the 2012 Olympics.

The Queen will hold a welcoming dinner at Gleneagles, in Perthshire, for leaders of the world's most industrialised countries.

But the mood could be soured by the International Olympic Committee's choice of city to hold the Games in seven years' time: London, Paris, New York, Moscow or Madrid.

Yesterday the Prime Minister flew from Singapore, where the committee was meeting, to prepare for the summit. He left behind an increasingly irritated Mr Chirac, who avoided all questions about his anti-British jibes at the weekend.

During talks in Russia with Chancellor Gerhard Schröder of Germany and President Vladimir Putin of Russia, he was overheard saying that "the only thing the British have ever given European farming is mad cow". He also poked fun at British cooking, which he said was the worst after Finland's.

He looked flustered as he was mobbed by journalists and ducked out of media appearances. Mr Blair has declined to respond publicly to his comments.

Mr Chirac, beset by falling popularity at home after May's resounding No vote against the European constitution, will come under further attack from an unexpected quarter today.

The 63-strong group of Francophone nations will demand the end of subsidies under the EU's Common Agricultural Policy.

The French president takes great care to nurture relations with la Francophonie and in particular with African countries. In 2003 he angered Britain by inviting President Robert Mugabe of Zimbabwe to a French-African summit in Paris.

But in an article due to be published in today's Le Monde, Abdou Diouf, the secretary general of la Francophonie and former president of Senegal, joins forces with Don McKinnon, the Commonwealth secretary general, in denouncing the "powerful and entrenched lobbies" that maintain rich countries' farming subsidies.

"Increased trading opportunities are the most potent means of combating global poverty," they write. "The single most important challenge is therefore to stop economic warfare against the poor through a distorted and unfair trading system."

Aid agencies have long regarded the CAP, which overwhelmingly favours French farmers, as a prime culprit in destroying African agriculture by denying it access to European markets and flooding the world with cheap subsidised products.

Last month's European summit in Brussels collapsed after Mr Chirac led demands for Britain to give up its £3 billion EU rebate. Mr Blair said he would consider such a move only if the "anomaly" of the CAP were removed.

Mr Chirac has given notice that he will challenge President George W Bush to drop subsidies to American cotton farmers that harm west African producers. However, Mr Bush spiked his guns this week by saying that he was ready to end farm subsidies if the EU did the same.

A separate clash is likely over climate change. President Bush has said he will resist any obligatory limits on greenhouse gases. Instead he wants to concentrate on developing new technology, such as hydrogen-powered cars, to reduce emissions.

As British officials try to find a form of words that Mr Bush can accept, there are fears that Mr Chirac may try publicly to isolate America by taking a hard line, forcing Britain to choose between America and Europe.

Prof Gwyn Prins, of the London School of Economics, told the BBC: "You can guarantee that he will attempt to embarrass Mr Blair in every way he can. He will try to isolate Britain and maximise the distance between the UK and the US. He will not be taking any hostages."

Mr Blair has chosen to adopt a diplomatic attitude. When asked about Mr Chirac's jibes, he said: "What I am concentrating on in the next few hours and days is to do our level best to support this [Olympics] bid then have a G8 focused on Africa and climate change - and everything else comes a long, long way behind those things."

Today the five short-listed cities will each make hour-long presentations to members of the International Olympic Committee before facing 10 minutes of questions, with Mr Chirac staying on to help the Paris bid before heading for Scotland.

There will then be rounds of voting until one capital wins more than 50 per cent of the votes.

Mr Blair said that if London won he would appoint a full-time Olympics minister and begin preparations at once.

[MadIvan]

Today could be a triumphant day if London beats Paris.

Regards, Ivan

[MadIvan]

Ping!

[SevenofNine]

HEY IVAN I hear that Chiarc run diss on England food may cause French the pick for 2012 games

HA HA doesn't happen to better person than French leader

[Southack]

"Mr Chirac has given notice that he will challenge President George W Bush to drop subsidies to American cotton farmers that harm west African producers. However, Mr Bush spiked his guns this week by saying that he was ready to end farm subsidies if the EU did the same."

Yet another easy diplomatic victory by President Bush taht went UNREPORTED by the American news media...

Oh, and London *should* get the 2012 Olympics.

[decal]

Wouldn't wish the Olympics on any city I liked.

[spinestein]

[...Mr Chirac, who avoided all questions about his anti-British jibes at the weekend. ...He was overheard saying that "the only thing the British have ever given European farming is mad cow". He also poked fun at British cooking, which he said was the worst after Finland's.]


So the French have better cooking and fewer sick cows than the British. I suppose if Mr. Blair ran off a list of the things that the British did better than the French, Mr. Chirac would be pleased to have his favor returned. NON?

[ncountylee]

You can guarantee that he [Chirac] will attempt to embarrass Mr Blair in every way he can.

Poor Jacques always trying for victim status.

[Waco]

Why does a Frenchman have only one egg for breakfast? Because one is an eouf!

[Mind-numbed Robot]

What is la Francophonie? Sounds like a French telephone company or a description of Chirac.

[MadIvan]

La Francophonie is the international association of French speaking nations.

Regards, Ivan

[SAJ]

Or, one could take the Toby Keith view regarding tequila, and assert that ''one more is never an oeuf''!

[vbmoneyspender]

"the only thing the British have ever given European farming is mad cow"

And the only thing France ever gave to European politics was the Terror followed by Napoleon.

[adam_az]

"Why does a Frenchman have only one egg for breakfast? Because one is an eouf!"

That's one more oeuf than Chirac is packing...

[Honcho]

he was overheard saying that "the only thing the British have ever given European farming is mad cow". He also poked fun at British cooking, which he said was the worst after Finland's.

Cooking? The last time the Brits were on the wrong side of history was 1776. The Russians live on the the wrong side of history.

[GAGOPSWEEPTOVICTORY]

And the only thing France ever gave to European politics was the Terror followed by Napoleon.

Not necessarily true. The Frenchies are pretty good with waving the white flag of surrender when the Germans come to kick their butts. Stupid cheese eating surrender monkeys.

If the corrupt IOC delegates haven't been sufficiently bribed by Paris, hopefully, the nod goes to NY, and if not New York, London -- two world class cities in countries that do the right thing, not appease and sell weapons to the enemy in Iraq.

[martin_fierro]

Chirac left with oeuf on his face

Chirac left with oaf on his face

[.cnI redruM]

>>>>Poor Jacques always trying for victim status.

It's his Napoleon complex. He just can't help himself.