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âNew Europeâ hits back at Chirac
French President Jacques Chirac was facing a backlash from eastern and central European countries on Tuesday after attacking them for their pro-US stance. Mr Chirac, speaking in Brussels as he attended an EU emergency summit on Monday, accused the candidates of acting out of turn by siding with the US.He said they should have kept quiet.
"Shut up, and listen to me! I'm French, I know what's good for you!"- But on Tuesday Poland - the biggest of the candidate countries -launched its own rebuke. "France has a right to define its own policy, and we have to respect it," said Polish Deputy Foreign Minister Adam Rotfeld."Poland... also has a right to decide what is in its own good, and France should in its turn consider it with respect and with interest for the reasons for this difference (of opinion)."
- Czech Deputy Foreign Minister Alexandr Vondr, when asked whether Mr Chirac was bullying the candidates, said: "That's the way it seems."
- Mr Chirac's attack "displayed some nervousness", said Bulgarian Deputy Foreign Minister Lubomir Ivanov. "This approach will not help to create unity in the Security Council," Mr Ivanov told Bulgarian national radio. Prime Minister Simeon Saxe-Coburg-Gotha said there was no question of Bulgaria changing its stance, although he said that Mr Chirac's comments should not be exaggerated.
- In Estonia, 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. "The more expressions of view the better."
The candidate countries were being briefed in Brussels on Tuesday on the outcome of the EU emergency summit. The divisions in Europe have split the EU's existing members into two camps. But among candidate countries' governments, there is widerspread support for the US. France, Germany and Greece, spearheading European resistance to an early war, were angered first by an open letter signed by eight EU and candidate countries in January. It was followed by another letter, signed by 10 central and eastern European states, also expressing backing for the US handling of the crisis. Mr Chirac's unprecedented attack came at a news conference after Monday's EU summit. He said the joint statements were "childish and irresponsible". The countries, he said, had "missed a great opportunity to shut up", and should have. They should have consulted the EU before issuing statements in support of the United States.
"Listen to your betters!"
Posted by: Steve 2003-02-18 |
