Independent Media Centre Ireland     http://www.indymedia.ie

Furious Chirac hits out at 'infantile' easterners

category national | miscellaneous | news report author Wednesday February 19, 2003 20:19author by Iano

Jacques Chirac last night launched a furious attack on east European candidates for EU membership, saying they had behaved "recklessly" in making pro-American statements on the Iraq crisis. Ian Black in Brussels Tuesday February 18, 2003 The Guardian

Speaking at the end of the emergency Brussels summit, the French president astonished diplomats and dismayed the European commission and other governments by accusing the incoming and aspirant members of "infantile" and "dangerous" behaviour.

Letters signed by Poland, Hungary and the Czech Republic, with current EU members Britain, Spain, Italy, Denmark and Portugal, and by the so-called Vilnius 10 group of EU and Nato candidates were "not well-brought-up behaviour," he complained.

"They missed a good opportunity to keep quiet. When you are in the family, after all, you have more rights than when you are asking to join and knocking on the door," Mr Chirac said, warning Romania and Bulgaria that they had been particularly incautious since they were still seeking EU membership.

Mr Chirac's fury betrayed France's anxiety at the way the club it helped to found is set to change beyond recognition when it admits 10 new members next year - and anger at the distinction made by Donald Rumsfeld, the US defence secretary, who dismissed France and Germany as "old Europe" compared with the pro-American easterners.

Special report
Iraq

Hans Blix's report to the UN
14.02.2003: Full text: Hans Blix's briefing to the security council
14.02.2003: Full text: Mohammed el-Baradei's briefing to the security council

Audio
Hear Hans Blix's report to the UN security council (23

Related Link: http://www.guardian.co.uk/france/story/0,11882,897891,00.html

Comments (5 of 5)

Jump To Comment: 1 2 3 4 5
The French are dead right
author by France fanpublication date Wed Feb 19, 2003 20:56author address author phone

these Eastern EU countries should be kept out for good, let them join the USA as they love it so much.

Completely unnecessary
author by Raypublication date Thu Feb 20, 2003 10:44author address author phone

This story is a day old and has been widely reported in the mainstream press. This particular article is taken from the Guardian, a well-known and widely available newspaper.
Why waste space on indymedia by copying it here?

I liked this story
author by non guardian readerpublication date Thu Feb 20, 2003 16:18author address author phone

and I had not seen it in the Irish papers, so thanks to the origional post

Money
author by Johnpublication date Thu Feb 20, 2003 23:48author address author phone

Interestingly also Turkey seems to be haggling over the amount of "aid" it is to recieve from the US should it allow use of its territory for a war on Iraq.

I think Chirac is right in this instance, and that perhaps the EU applicants are hoping for favourible economic packages from the US. Thus making something of a mockery of the EU.

these countries can be bribed by the EU or USA or whoever
author by begging bowlpublication date Fri Feb 21, 2003 15:38author address author phone

of course it is true that these eastern applicant countries have absolutely no pride, but Irish politicans have been taking money fron brussels and from the US for years too

http://www.indymedia.ie/article/29749

Indymedia Ireland is a media collective. We are independent volunteer citizen journalists producing and distributing the authentic voices of the people. Indymedia Ireland is an open news project where anyone can post their own news, comment, videos or photos about Ireland or related matters.