OT - French tell pro-US nations to 'shut up!'

[Dutch]

Boy, some think Bush is bad, it's too bad our media isn't getting sound bites from Chirac.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/2775579.stm

French President Chirac - (It was after the EU summit in Brussels that Mr Chirac accused the candidates - who have signed letters backing the US position - of)"...childish and irresponsible behaviour. It is not well-brought-up behaviour. They missed a good opportunity to keep quiet," he said.

The chairman of the Hungarian parliament's EU Integration committee, Istvan Szent-Ivanyi, said: "No-one can oblige us to be silent."

Slovak Foreign Minister Eduard Kukan said: "I do not comprehend why Mr Chirac is not criticising Italy, Spain or Portugal. After all, they said exactly the same... I do not like it, and I do not think this way of marking us out is justified."

Estonian foreign ministry spokeswoman Tiina Maiberg told BBC News Online: "All we would say is that the more plurality of opinion in Europe, the better it is. Our country and other countries have a right to express our opinions."

A Czech minister said France appeared to be bullying the candidate countries, while Romanian President Ion Iliescu said the French president's remarks were "inappropriate".

Polish Deputy Foreign Minister Adam Rotfeld said: "Poland... also has a right to decide what is in its own good, and France should in its turn consider it with respect."

Romanian President Ion Iliescu - Jacques Chirac should regret such expressions, which are not in the spirit of friendship and democratic relationships

UK Prime Minister Tony Blair backed the small nations, declaring that all countries should be free to speak their minds.

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So Chirac, what exactly is in this thing for you???? Hmmm.....

[Anthony]

i like your website Dutch. the whole series needs more 3rd party mods. jim just doesn't get it.

[rexalllsc]

Wow. That is a cool site.

[Joe Canadian]

French tell pro-US nations to 'shut up!'

So... the US and it's supporters have been telling France to 'Shut-up' for months now... .

PS - Great Site.

[daedalus]

Originally posted by Joe Canadian
So... the US and it's supporters have been telling France to 'Shut-up' for months now... .

I'm gonna guess it has just a tad to do with the fact that there are plenty of people quite ready, willing and already do say that US are assholes at the drop of a hat and nobody ever says the same thing with regards to the French. Maybe.

[BreizhManu]

Originally posted by daedalus
I'm gonna guess it has just a tad to do with the fact that there are plenty of people quite ready, willing and already do say that US are assholes at the drop of a hat and nobody ever says the same thing with regards to the French. Maybe.

Nobody ? : Americans, English, Germans, Spanish, Italians, etc...

Having travelled a lot, nobody likes the French (nor the americans to be honest), you know what ? We get use to it

[Chief Rum]

You do realize there is a big difference between a general populace thinking or saying this, and a leader of a country saying this, right?

Chief Rum

[BreizhManu]

yes, but Chirac is an asshole

[SackAttack]

So? I thought the fact that he's French meant that was understood.

[BishopMVP]

I saw another quote from a Czech minister on this "One thing we learned from the 1930's was not to trust the French when it comes to security guarantees."