CHIRAC'S HISSY FIT - He blasts eastern Europeans over pro-American stance, warns on EU membership

Associated Press | February 17, 2003 | Paul Ames

[UncleSamUSA]

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.

"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.

"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 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."

[WriteOn]

It would be nice to see the god-less EU crumble early on...

[Eric in the Ozarks]

E. Europe can tie themselves to Socialism again or go with US.

[inquest]

"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."

I wonder how many Eastern European prime ministers were thinking of giving him a wedgie at that point.

[Robert_Paulson2]

I wonder how many Eastern European prime ministers were thinking of giving him a wedgie at that point.

---

Why Bother? He seems to be giving himself one rather welll already?

Chirac = "due to make Dave's top ten list very very soon, but WHAT category?"

[cajungirl]

Heh Heh,,nothing finer than seeing a Frenchman with his knickers iin a knot,,makes my day. Going to get some good old american wine to drink.

[ItisaReligionofPeace]

As I posted earlier, I am boycotting these idiots, and I emailed the French embassy here in the U.S. and told them so...and I was going to send my parents to France this summer (now it's going to be a somewhere else in Europe).

[Mike Darancette]

No there is an oxymoron - French Bully".

[crazykatz]

LOL!! If only they would!! HAHAHAHA!!!

[UncleSamUSA]

Actually, all the Eastern European countries awaiting entry into the EU were EXCLUDED from this special meeting. It was widely felt that the Head Surrender Monkey didnt want them anywhere near the meeting as they were all pro-US.

It seems Blair, Berlusconi, Aznar and others gave the Head Surrender Monkey a terrible case of indigestion by their insistence on tougher terms in the agreement.

Afterward, the HSM basically told the non-attending, pro-US eastern block to "shut up and do what France says or you don't get into the EU."

And this is the guy telling the leader of the free world in Washington not to act "unilaterally". Y'know if we have some spare ordinance after our tussle with Iraq, I think we ought to "dispose" of some of them in the general vicinity of the home of the Surrender Monkeys.

Just in the name of justice.

[Numbers Guy]

"We will not discuss pro-American or anti-American positions"

Note that the Greek sleazeball did not say "we will not discuss pro-war or anti-war positions". In his attempt to spin his position, he hit upon the truth. This has nothing to do with opposing a war and has everything to do with opposing America.

As for Jacques, I find it amusing that a government that complains about American bullying attempts to bully other governments.

[Sparta]

That strong smell is the smell of French irrelevance.

[crazykatz]

SPAIN!! They are for us!! Barcelona is just lovely....so is Madrid. They food is excellent and the WINE....well, it is better than FRENCH Wine simply becaise it is not French!! LOL!!

[cajungirl]

You are so right. Just when I think I meet the limits of my detestation of the French, they go and do something that expands my horizon of detestation. Surely someday I will meet the outer limits of my hatred for the French, surely I will.

[ladyinred]

I know someone else who missed a golden opportunity to keep quiet.

[11th Earl of Mar]

It would be nice to see the god-less EU crumble early on...

Wouldn't it be nice if Bush Jr.'s move to strike Iraq broke up the UN AND the EU!

[Defender2]

That's just Chirac showing his true Socialists/Communists side. Remember the French fought alongside the Russians during the Second World War and still suffer Socialistic tendencies. He can't stand the fact that the new former east block countries now belonging to NATO truly are now beginning to enjoy their freedoms that they did not possess under Soviet domination. So for France.....Tough Sh*t!!!!

[Arkinsaw]

Chirac is basically threatening that the French Parliament might not ratify their membership in an effort to bully them into shutting up. Perhaps now those countries understand what EU membership is going to be like.

The "pygmy" nations need to gather round one another and start telling France what to do. They will, after all, have the votes to do so if they stick together. I wonder how long France will remain so gung-ho for EU power when it is not they who are weilding it. They might even walk out in a huff ala NATO.

[Adrastus]

I was thinking more of an atomic wedgie.

Exactly what does this arrogant pig mean by "Not well brought up behavior"? That sort of sh*t will open a large economy sized can of whup as* down here in Texas. The more this worm blathers, the deeper the hole he's digging for the frogs gets.Not that it really matters, but by the time this is all over, how many friends do you think the frogs will have left...if any?

[eeriegeno]

Spain or Italy are both excellent choices. Lots to see and a whole lot of friendly people, much unlike the country to the north where the elites eat truffles and the common folk watch them eat.