Chirac given a rough ride over EU summit

[leftward]

President Jacques Chirac was given rough treatment on Monday in the French media and by opposition parties for his part in the failure to agree an overhaul of the European Union's institutions at the EU summit in Brussels.


The reaction was far more negative than that following his undiplomatic handling of the Nice summit in December 2000, where he managed to retain voting parity with Germany at the expense of serious EU institutional reform. But on that occasion political opposition was muted, because he was "co-habiting" with a socialist-led government with premier Lionel Jospin, who was co-responsible for the Nice negotiations.

François Hollande, leader of the socialists, the main opposition party, yesterday attacked the way Mr Chirac and Gerhard Schröder, the German chancellor, had tried to impose their views on their colleagues by presenting a strong Franco-German front. "They sought to show that it was sufficient to get two to agree for 25 to do the same," Mr Hollande said.

http://news.ft.com/servlet/ContentServer?pagename=FT.com/StoryFT/FullStory&c=StoryFT&cid=1071251559689

[GainesT1958]

1. Personally, if I were French, I'd be a bit suspicious...

Of any president of mine anxious to form such a "tight" alliance with ANY German leader...EU or no!:eyes:

B-)

[Paschall]

2. So you think nobody should trust the Germans?

As if today's Germany were Wilhelm's or Adolf's! :eyes:

I guess you mean the Marshall Plan didn't work, huh? What nonsense!