In a condescending tirade against Eastern European countries supporting the U.S. and British stances on Iraq, French president Jacques Chirac lashed out before the United Nations, saying the countries had “missed a perfect opportunity to be quiet.”
This spat of arrogant commentary was in response to Poland, Hungary and the Czech Republic signing letters supporting Washington’s position on Iraq. Chirac was further infuriated when 10 other Eastern European countries pledged their support to Washington after Powell presented his case to the United Nations.
“It is not really responsible behavior. It is not well-brought-up behavior,” Chirac said.
Chirac would continue by saying the candidate countries had acted “frivolously” and their position could be “dangerous” as the rest of the European Union had yet to ratify last December’s decision to allow the 10 countries to join the Union in 2004.
What is more sickening is that Chirac would single out the two poorest candidates for European Union candidacy: Romania and Bulgaria. “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 the European Union, they could not have found a better way.” In the case of Romania and Bulgaria, the conflict of opinions may cost their people chances at a better life.
Sorry, Jacques, but you do not set the foreign policy of these countries. Much like the millions of people in thousands of cities across the planet marched against the war on Iraq with the freedom of speech at their disposal, these countries have the same freedom to take whatever stance they deem most appropriate for themselves. Taking that stance should also come without the loudspeaker of imposing power that these former communist satellites had just escaped with the fall of the Berlin wall. It seems being a good little European requires you either to back Chirac or not speak up at all.
Yes, France does have a right to its own opinions, but these opinions lose credibility when the crux of them is a demeaning, lispy French command to “shut up and be quiet.” The ineptitude of these comments is amazing. Romania has likened the comments to France creating a new Iron Curtain, with the new Moscow in Paris.
Chirac’s comment’s can hardly be surprising. France has always wanted to be the major player in a united Europe and the leader of a European Union, designed to be a counterweight to American power. In this case, France wants to use its perceived power as a ballast to a U.S.-led war on Iraq. I guess I would have problems liberating an oppressed people as well.
In addition to France treating the Eastern European countries like babies, France has the audacity to accuse the United States of trying to acquire a stranglehold on the United Nations. Ironically, this is just what France is trying to do through the European Union. Hypocrisy reigns.
France has turned itself and its stance into a complete joke. Adam Rotfeld, Polish deputy foreign minister, summed up the response of the attacked countries by saying, “France has a right to its opinion, and Poland has the right to decide what is good for it, [and] France should respect that.” In highly restrained terms, this was Eastern Europe giving France the communal finger.
And in North Carolina, a restaurant called Cubbie’s has dropped the French out of its French Fries and renamed them Freedom fries. The move is reminiscent of the World War II era when restaurants across the country renamed German foods like sauerkraut and hamburgers, liberty cabbage and liberty steak. In light of the recent comments, I’ll supersize my freedom fries.
Derek Montgomery ([email protected]) is a sophomore majoring in political science and journalism.
