French President Jacques Chirac mouthing off with defensive and not-so-thinly veiled threats to would-be EU members, according to this AP story (courtesy of Glenn Reynolds. Some selections:
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.”
As if the eastern European countries who would like to enter the EU are recalcitrant children who make bad, ill-informed decisions and deserve scorn and derision, as well as the denial of membership in the Euro trading zone.
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 candidate nations.
“When you’re in the family you have more rights than when you’re knocking on the door,” he said.
Such statements are utterly appalling, regardless of your stance on the Iraq issues. Is Chirac that desperate?
My flabber is well and truly gasted.