Protests on Bastille Day spoil party for Chirac (French Whine Alert)

UK Telegraph ^ | July 15, 2003 | UK Telegraph News

[FairOpinion]

France's struggling economy, labour unrest, street protests and trouble from Corsican separatists yesterday damped President Jacques Chirac's attempts to use Bastille Day celebrations to burnish his profile as an international statesman.

Jacques Chirac waves to the crowds during the annual Bastille Day parade The traditional parade on the Champs-Elysées, with low-flying jets trailing red, white and blue smoke above nearly 4,000 troops, was a chance for television cameras to capture M Chirac as he wants to be seen: head of state of a leading military power.

A German general, Holger Kammerhoff, led the parade with 120 troops from Eurocorps, the five-nation embryonic European Union force based in Strasbourg, eastern France.

In a televised interview, and throughout a day marked by disturbances over his policies, M Chirac was reminded of widespread dissatisfaction that has sent his popularity falling for three consecutive months.

"We are in a difficult, uncertain world," he said, urging people to keep an open mind, to adapt and to reject "fear, isolation, becoming entrenched".

He said he would press ahead with plans for reforms in the economy and in Corsica where a bomb exploded outside a post office yesterday, without causing casualties.

[FairOpinion]

Chirac thinks he is an "international statesman?! ROTFL.

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[FairOpinion]

Heil Chirac!

[Pro-Bush]

Great Post. Chirac is desperate for attention.

[NormsRevenge]

Fireworks explode behind the Eiffel tower to celebrate the closing of Bastille Day, France's national holiday, July 14, 2003. Thousands earlier lined the city's Champs Elysees to see the annual military parade. Bastille Day marks the storming of the Bastiile Prison during the French revolution. REUTERS/Xavier Lhospice

[FairOpinion]

Their fireworks are certainly pretty. Great picture.

France has lots of beautiful things, the problem is the people.

Like in California. ;)

[NormsRevenge]

I couldn't agree more.. It's all about attitude.

[vpintheak]

Perhaps followers of Frederic Bastiat will unite and destroy the socialist hell known as France, and make it a great nation again.

[dts32041]

Yeah and the German unit was checking the trees, on the chumps alltheway, to make sure they would still provide shade for thei troops.

[Paleo Conservative]

France's struggling economy, labour unrest, street protests and trouble from Corsican separatists yesterday damped President Jacques Chirac's attempts to use Bastille Day celebrations to burnish his profile as an international statesman.

[Hermann the Cherusker]

A German general, Holger Kammerhoff, led the parade with 120 troops from Eurocorps

How deliciously appropriate! Did the cheese-eating surrender monkeys live up to their name?

[Hermann the Cherusker]

Better the followers of Le Pen. They are the only people with morality. The Bastiat followers are as degenerate as the Gaullists.