Chirac blasts eastern Europeans over pro-American stance. (SURRENDER MONKEY BARF ALERT!!!!)

Drudge Report ^ | 17 Feb. 2003 | Chirac blasts eastern Europeans over pro-American stance, warns on EU membership

[txradioguy]

Chirac blasts eastern Europeans over pro-American stance, warns on EU membership

By PAUL AMES, Associated Press Writer

BRUSSELS, Belgium - French President Jacques Chirac launched a withering attack Monday on eastern European nations who signed letters backing the U.S. position on Iraq, warning it could jeopardize their chances of joining the European Union (news - web sites).

Latest news: • Iraq Reports 1st Flight by U-2 Spy Plane AP - 42 minutes ago • U.S., Britain Push for Iraq Resolution AP - 1 hour, 13 minutes ago • U.S. Considers New U.N. Iraq Resolution AP - Mon Feb 17,12:19 PM ET Special Coverage

"It is not really responsible behavior," he told a news conference. "It is not well brought up behavior. They missed a good opportunity to keep quiet."

Chirac was angered when EU candidates Poland, Hungary and the Czech Republic joined pro-U.S. EU members such as Britain, Spain and Italy last month in a letter supporting Washington's line on Iraq against the more dovish stance of France and Germany.

Paris was further upset when 10 other eastern European nations signed a similar letter a few days later.

France argued that the moves aggravated splits in the 15-nation EU and backed the ideas put forward by U.S. Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld who had earlier spoke of France and Germany as "old Europe" in contrast to the easterners seeking to join the EU and NATO (news - web sites).

"Concerning the candidate countries, honestly I felt they acted frivolously because entry into the European Union implies a minimum of understanding for the others," Chirac told reporters after an emergency EU summit on Iraq.

He warned the candidates the position could be "dangerous" because the parliaments of the 15 EU nations still have to ratify last December's decision for 10 new members to join the bloc on May 1, 2004.

Chirac particularly warned Romania and Bulgaria, who are still negotiating to enter the bloc in 2007.

"Romania and Bulgaria were particularly irresponsible to (sign the letter) when their position is really delicate," Chirac said. "If they wanted to diminish their chances of joining Europe they could not have found a better way."

Britain, Spain and other EU nations had suggested the candidate nations attend Monday's emergency summit on Iraq, but France and Germany opposed the idea.

Although Spanish Prime Minister Jose Maria Aznar and British Prime Minister Tony Blair (news - web sites) were the driving forces behind the letter backing America and EU members Italy, Denmark and Portugal also signed up, Chirac saved his wrath for the candidates.

"When you're in the family you have more rights than when you're knocking on the door," he said.

Poland, Hungary, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Slovenia, Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia, Cyprus and Malta are set to join in May 2004. Lagging behind economically, Romania and Bulgaria were told to wait three more years.

Instead of attending the EU summit, the candidates are due to travel to Brussels Tuesday for a briefing on its outcome by Greece, which currently holds the EU presidency.

Greek Prime Minister Costas Simitis denied they had been excluded from the summit because of their backing for Washington, insisting rules require the treaties be signed first.

"We will not discuss pro-American or anti-American positions," Simitis told a news conference. "The candidate countries will be members" soon, and "we have to proceed together."

[Cosmo]

People with grand dreams of a UN with broader powers -- a world gov't so to speak -- would be wise to watch what happens when a diverse collection of nations get together, play at ceding their sovereignty to an unelected overseeing body, and find themselves in disagreement over a particular foreign policy issue.
People with dissimilar interests and motivations rarely get along when they are forced to live and work together. Why should nations be expected to be any different?
May this mark the beginning of the end for the European Union.

[CyberAnt]

Brit Hume just took Chirac apart over this statement. Called it "threatening". It seems Chirac was referring to the fact that most of these nations which signed the letter, have applied for admission to the UN (?) - or would that be NATO (?). Anybody know??

[Wphile]

"It is not really responsible behavior," he told a news conference. "It is not well brought up behavior. They missed a good opportunity to keep quiet."

Screw you Chirac!!

[Siobhan]

Call your local French consulate (or embassy) and kindly ask them to leave.

[CyberAnt]

Oh, EU membership - okay, now I get the threat! Thanks!

[Cicero]

In a crisis like this, politicians change their tactics day by day. But I think Blair's last word is that another UN resolution is not needed. I don't see how anyone would benefit from introducing another resolution if France and Germany plan to veto it.

Meantime, this threat by Chirac is no joke. It will make France cordially hated throughout Eastern and Central Europe. Germany needed France as a counterweight to the suspicion that they were accomplishing by politics a takeover of Europe which they failed to accomplish by war. But does Germany need France badly enough to jump off a cliff with her?

It may very well end up with France isolated from everyone but, maybe, the Chinese. Sort of like Romania in the Ceaucescu days. Russia won't stick by them after this moment of convenience passes.

[aBootes]

The Frogs and Krauts are so far out of touch with reality that they sound more like The Onion than The Onion does.

No kidding. I had to scroll back up to the top and check because it sounded so like something The Onion would print!

[cake_crumb]

My 20 year-old daughter just told me that France threatening someone is an oxymoron. She's right.

[litany_of_lies]

This is further proof that the ultimate goal of the EU boys in Brussels is to create a cradle-to-grave, tree-hugging, despot-appeasing, baby-killing, euthanizing, business-choking, Christian-hating, politically correct socialist nightmare.

Perhaps Blair and Britain will reconsider what they are getting into. Perhaps the Eastern Europeans will tell the EU to pound salt. 10 years of relative market freedom and they will be more prosperous than the EU anyway.

As Drudge says, EU-PU!

[Riley]

Blacque Jacque Shellaque Chirac !

[cake_crumb]

"If they wanted to diminish their chances of joining Europe they could not have found a better way."

D@mn...he DID say that!

Freudian slip, perhaps??

[cynicom]

Not too many years ago, when it looked as if these same countries and Russia were looking to vacation on the English channel, the big bad French said not one unkind word. Now these countries are "friends" and the cowardly French open their swine mouth. What losers.

[Robert_Paulson2]

Are there no limits to French arrogance?

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no.

[veronica]

Heave la France!

[cake_crumb]

"It has been increasingly clear to me that all the EU is for is to let France and Germany, and the technocrats in the various centers of EU rule (Brussels, Strasbourg, etc.) rule over Europe with an iron fist"

The rebirth of the Holy Roman Empire. Perhaps this is what France and Germany have been angling for whith this EU idea all along?

[Robert_Paulson2]

Doesn't the UK own part of France's western coast?

---

I think you may need to hold back a division or two, plus a few fishing boats, to take back what is rightfully the Queen's dominion... I am only partly kidding.

[Porterville]

That is funny stuff.

[Savage Beast]

"It is not really responsible behavior"

And your behavior is responsible, Jacques?

"It is not well brought up behavior."

I doubt that you've been brought up any better than the rest of us, Jacques, but it's beside the point.

"They missed a good opportunity to keep quiet."

Uh... Run that past me one more time.

"the parliaments of the 15 EU nations still have to ratify last December's decision for 10 new members to join the bloc"

Maybe this is a good thing. We might want to consider incorporating our more responsible and well brought up allies into some sort of NAFTA agreement anyway. Maybe they won't want to join the EU.

Whaddaya think, responsible, well brought up allies?!??

[Savage Beast]

I hate to say it, but the Notre Dame is probably going to wind up in Arizona and the Louvre somewhere like Myrtle Beach.