Eastern Europe to France: Drop Dead, Chirac

Gatekeeper · February 20, 2003, 05:33

Everyone:

OK, so maybe the thread title reflects a bit of *my* sentiment at the current time, but the following story — which I pulled off the raw news wires at work — seems to reflect more than a fair share of that attitude.

Read the following selection and contribute to this thread as you see fit afterwards.

***

Quote:

Across the former Iron Curtain, indignation over Chirac’s rebuke on Iraq

By VESELIN ZHELEV
Associated Press Writer

SOFIA, Bulgaria (AP) — Bulgaria’s president angrily summoned the French ambassador Wednesday as critics across the former Soviet bloc lashed out at French President Jacques Chirac for telling Europe’s eastern newcomers to ‘‘keep quiet’’ on their pro-Washington stance on Iraq.

Their indignation, coupled with a refusal to withdraw support for the U.S. threat of force against Saddam Hussein, underscored how the ex-communist countries of the ‘‘new Europe’’ are finding strength, solidarity and unprecedented influence by sticking together.

‘‘This is no longer Napoleon’s Europe but the Europe of dissidents like (former Czech President) Vaclav Havel,’’ an editorial in Latvia’s Diena newspaper read.

‘‘Chirac is doing exactly what he criticizes the United States of doing: telling other countries what to do,’’ said Guntars Krasts, head of the European affairs committee in Latvia’s parliament.

The French president made the comments Monday after many of the 10 ex-communist countries invited to join the European Union in May 2004 signed declarations of support for the United States’ tough position against Iraq.

‘‘It is not well brought-up behavior,’’ Chirac said of the declarations. ‘‘They missed a good opportunity to keep quiet.’’ He warned that those nations were on ‘‘dangerous’’ ground because the parliaments of the 15 western European countries that now make up the EU still must formally vote to admit the eastern newcomers.

In Bulgaria, which has offered a 150-member non-combat unit in case of war, President Georgi Parvanov summoned France’s ambassador Wednesday in a show of displeasure.

At a meeting with the envoy, Jean-Loup Kuhn-Delforge, Parvanov ‘‘expressed concern about ... the emotional statement’’ by Chirac, his office said.

‘‘Bulgaria insists on mutual respect between EU members and applicant countries, between big and small states,’’ Parvanov said. ‘‘Pressure by one state on another should not be allowed.’’

French Interior Minister Nicolas Sarkozy, in Sofia for discussions on countering illegal immigration, sought to smooth over the controversy.

Chirac only wanted to tell prospective EU members that joining ‘‘gives a lot of rights but also creates a lot of obligations, including solidarity,’’ he told reporters.

But as Chirac’s remarks sank in Wednesday, fury erupted.

‘‘Chirac’s outburst must be understood as the recognition that a dream is beginning to unravel. The New Europe imagined and created from rubble after the last war will not gravitate necessarily around the Paris-Berlin axis,’’ the Romanian newspaper Ziua said in an editorial headlined ‘‘Le Petit Big Brother.’’

Not all of Chirac’s targets took him to task.

A Hungarian official sought to play down the fuss, and Polish Foreign Minister Wlodzimierz Cimoszewicz said his government respected France’s right to express its opinion, and he warned against ‘‘too much emotional rhetoric.’’

But reaction elsewhere was ferocious. In many countries, Chirac’s remark was translated as ‘‘shut up’’ rather than ‘‘keep quiet,’’ only fueling the collective sense of outrage.

The Lithuanian newspaper Lietuvos Rytas said in an editorial: ‘‘It looks like Chirac has forgotten that eastern European countries broke free from communism and ... will not be the silent servants of Paris.’’

In tiny Slovakia, the daily Pravda wrote Wednesday in a commentary that ‘‘neither Slovakia nor any other candidate country will enter the EU to keep silent, but in order to make their voice be heard more.’’

Romanians, who have been fascinated by French language, culture and architecture for more than 150 years, snapped at Chirac as a ‘‘hypocrite’’ and accused the French leader of misreading its support for a quick and decisive end to the Iraq crisis.

‘‘What Chirac ... doesn’t understand is that Romania is not pro-American, nor anti-French, nor anti-German, and least of all bloodthirsty for Iraq,’’ said Cristian Tudor Popescu, editor-in-chief of the daily Adevarul.

‘‘Did the Europeans and especially the French ever understand what Romania endured under communism? Romania is desperate ... Romania sees in the United States at this time the strongest guarantee that it won’t have to return to the quagmire.’’

***

Gatekeeper

MikeH · February 20, 2003, 05:35

Chirac is an idiot.

Urban Ranger · February 20, 2003, 05:35

I reckon these countries are just brown-nosing the US in the hopes of some bread crumbs. Poor sods.

TheStinger · February 20, 2003, 05:39

Well they are more likley to get something form the US than France. France doesn't want to reform the CAP or regional funding in order to stop the new members getting money

Lancer · February 20, 2003, 05:54

MikeH, you are too kind.

Chirac is French.

Nubclear · February 20, 2003, 05:57

Chirac is beginning to annoy me some.....

Paul Hanson · February 20, 2003, 05:59

Chirac is beginning to annoy everyone some.

HershOstropoler · February 20, 2003, 06:03

"Eastern Europe to France: Drop Dead, Chirac"

We said that about 3 years ago. Didn't work.

Pekka · February 20, 2003, 06:06

Chirac is a jerk!

A Bientot!

Drake Tungsten · February 20, 2003, 06:33

Isn't this great? The relationship between American and Europeans can be repaired if we would only agree to going back to hating the French again. Long live Chirac!

HershOstropoler · February 20, 2003, 06:36

Until the next time Bush opens his mouth....

Harovan · February 20, 2003, 06:36

Chirac and Schröder are both idiots, who just do the right thing, but the wrong way. I support their anti war stance, but don't support them personally. I didn't vote for Schröder and never will do it. Same would go for Chirac. Schröders domestic policy is a disaster, his skills in foreign policy is piss poor, and if he wouldn't hear to the popular opinion in his stance over the Iraq question (which morons like Aznar and Berlusconi prefer to ignore), he would have zero support at all.

As for Chiracs tone towards Eastern Europe and their response... well, it's something like a pissing contest going on right now. Who does better to insult the other. It's all pretty pathetic. If the US thinks they can use the Eastern countries to split Europe, well, my opinion is, they can have them entirely. They just should be aware, that their support costs money and they are bigger backstabbers than France and Germany ever were, because they will always turn towards the better offer and the sweeter deal at the moment, without having a long term policy.

The Mad Monk · February 20, 2003, 06:59

...and yet....both were reelected...

MikeH · February 20, 2003, 07:21

And Bush was elected. Your point?

HershOstropoler · February 20, 2003, 07:26

Just look at the alternatives.

Drake Tungsten · February 20, 2003, 07:29

What was wrong with Stoiber?

Harovan · February 20, 2003, 07:34

Rightwinger.
Hypocrite (worse than Schröder).
Demagogue.
Populist.

Enough?

HershOstropoler · February 20, 2003, 07:35

The same in black, just with some socially conservative ideas that the majority does not like.

Drake Tungsten · February 20, 2003, 07:52

Quote:

Rightwinger.
Hypocrite (worse than Schröder).
Demagogue.
Populist.

So he's a conservative version of Schroder?

Quote:

The same in black, just with some socially conservative ideas that the majority does not like.

It appears so. Sucks to be Germany...

Harovan · February 20, 2003, 08:30

Quote:

Originally posted by Drake Tungsten
So he's a conservative version of Schroder?

Exactly.

Quote:

It appears so. Sucks to be Germany...

Yea, sure.

For your records, I don't know a single politician in the whole world worth to get my vote.

Drake Tungsten · February 20, 2003, 08:51

I'd vote for Tony Blair. If the British kick him out, he can come be governor of Nebraska. I'm sure he'd enjoy that...

Pekka · February 20, 2003, 09:07

I have to say I was quite amazed by the document I just finished watching. I don't know what to think about it.

It was about Saddam Hussein. First of all, Chirac was really working to get close relations with the man when he was prime minister in 70's.. visiting all the time, and selling technology that made it possible for Iraq to start their own nuclear program. He knew it, and willingly helped them by giving contracts and getting huge deals back. This is nothing new of course, but still I was amazed by Chiracs personal effort, it was huge. It all really makes sense now.

The Viceroy · February 20, 2003, 09:09

Its not just E.Europe thats outraged by this, I was a supporter of the UK's entry into the Euro zone, and playing an active part within the EU, now .. im left feeling its all about France & Germany, and I don't just want the UK to not join the Euro, I want to pull out of the whole thing.

Give me the option, id prefer to join a union with Canada, US, Australia, New Zealand and get out of the EU.

The French must realise, their opinion is not the European opinion, and if they're not careful, they will destroy all the work that has been acheived since WW2.

Pekka · February 20, 2003, 09:09

It was made clear that his agenda was to warm relations with arab world and europe, so we wouldn't be depending on Russia or the US. More that france wouldn't have to depend on the US, and Iraq wouldn't have to depend on Russia. Nice bunch of fellows getting together. Down with Chirac!

GePap · February 20, 2003, 12:02

He..

So Chirac has the same footinmouth disease that affects so much of the Bush amdinistration: I gues it runs in conservative circles.

As for the Easter Europeans: interesting how the further outt hey are, the more furios: the POles and Hungarians keep it down, while those states that might join in a few years soiund really mad.

The thing is, France is one of the natural allies of so many of these states when it comes to the big money EU issue, farm subsidies. All the E.European states would like to get good farm subsidies from the EU and France is the big champion of them among the very large states, with Poland also among them.

CerberusIV · February 20, 2003, 12:18

Quote:

Originally posted by GePap

The thing is, France is one of the natural allies of so many of these states when it comes to the big money EU issue, farm subsidies. All the E.European states would like to get good farm subsidies from the EU and France is the big champion of them among the very large states, with Poland also among them.

Not quite. The Germans (and the UK) aren't prepared to put up the money to make the cake any bigger so more money to the eastern Europeans means less money to the French farmers.

Chirac wants them to be compliant and grateful for the crumbs from the table but if they can see off their former dictatorships they should be more than a match for the French.

OliverFA · February 20, 2003, 12:30

Quote:

Originally posted by Drake Tungsten
Isn't this great? The relationship between American and Europeans can be repaired if we would only agree to going back to hating the French again. Long live Chirac!

That's right! Maybe the French are helping EU and NATO more than they think. The only thing we have to do is throw them out of the EU and the NATO and everything will go fine.

OliverFA · February 20, 2003, 12:33

Quote:

Originally posted by The Mad Monk
...and yet....both were reelected...

In the case of Chirac, he was the less bad option, which doesn't say much about the French politicians by the way. In the case of Schroeder he was elected by a very small difference, and his party has lost the last elections...

Ozz · February 20, 2003, 12:36

Quote:

Originally posted by The Viceroy
Give me the option, id prefer to join a union with Canada, US, Australia, New Zealand and get out of the EU.

Churchill's Union of the English speaking peoples.

Dump the metric system too. It's simple, but it is
barren of character.

OliverFA · February 20, 2003, 12:38

Quote:

Originally posted by The Viceroy
The French must realise, their opinion is not the European opinion, and if they're not careful, they will destroy all the work that has been acheived since WW2.

I'm afraid the damage is already done. Lots of former EU suporters feel... what's the word Bush used? oh yes, "deceived".

In Spain the oposition speech can de summarized with just two phrases.

"Stop doing everything that Bush says" and
"Start doing everything that Chirac says".

Too bad...