China Posted March 25, 2006 Share Posted March 25, 2006 Waaah! Waaah! :cry: Chirac ‘shocked’ by use of English at summit Upset French leader bolts EU meeting after Frenchman switches languages Reuters - Updated: 9:35 a.m. ET March 24, 2006 BRUSSELS, Belgium - President Jacques Chirac said on Friday he had been so shocked to hear a fellow Frenchman speak English at a European Union summit the previous day that he had felt compelled to leave the room. “I have to say I was profoundly shocked to see a Frenchman express himself in English at the (EU) Council table. That’s why the French delegation and myself walked out rather than listen to that,” Chirac told reporters. Chirac said France had fought for a long time to ensure that French was spoken and used within multinational institutions, from the European Union and United Nations to the Olympic Games. “It is not just national interest, it is in the interest of culture and the dialogue of cultures. You cannot build the world of the future on just one language and, hence one culture.” French once dominated the EU, but English has overtaken it since the bloc expanded to take in Nordic countries in the 1990s and east European members in 2004. Chirac, flanked by his foreign and finance ministers, quit the summit chamber on Thursday when Ernest-Antoine Seilliere, head of a European business lobby, switched from French to English during a speech to EU leaders. Chirac missed Seilliere urging leaders to “resist national protectionism in order to avoid a negative domino effect” in the EU’s internal market, a veiled criticism of France and others who have tried to block cross-border takeovers. English, French and German are the working languages of the 25-nation bloc, which has no single official language. All 20 languages of the member states are used at summits, ministerial meetings and in the European Parliament. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PokerPacker Posted March 25, 2006 Share Posted March 25, 2006 crazy frogs Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rincewind Posted March 25, 2006 Share Posted March 25, 2006 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
visionary Posted March 25, 2006 Share Posted March 25, 2006 Weird, I thought it was a joke at first. Crazy French...heh. Is Chirac still in power? I thought he had been replaced by now. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Raub Posted March 25, 2006 Share Posted March 25, 2006 Sacre bleu! What a nut. :laugh: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rincewind Posted March 25, 2006 Share Posted March 25, 2006 This post - :point2sky - made me a pro bowler! :laugh: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PokerPacker Posted March 25, 2006 Share Posted March 25, 2006 This post - :point2sky - made me a pro bowler! :laugh: i don't think even Who Del has quoted himself! :laugh: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rincewind Posted March 25, 2006 Share Posted March 25, 2006 i don't think even Who Del has quoted himself! :laugh: He's just not as cool as me. :cool: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChocolateCitySkin Posted March 25, 2006 Share Posted March 25, 2006 While I think this was a slight overreaction... I understand how they fervently wish to preserve their language. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spanishomelette Posted March 25, 2006 Share Posted March 25, 2006 This post - :point2sky - made me a pro bowler! :laugh: For this you're a pro bowler. Life really is unfair :mad: j/k Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rincewind Posted March 25, 2006 Share Posted March 25, 2006 For this you're a pro bowler. Life really is unfair :mad: Actually its my 2500th - but who's counting? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zoony Posted March 25, 2006 Share Posted March 25, 2006 Actually its my 2500th - but who's counting? congratulations shemp Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spanishomelette Posted March 25, 2006 Share Posted March 25, 2006 Actually its my 2500th - but who's counting? Yeah, I screwed up... but i fixed it for ya' congrats Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rincewind Posted March 25, 2006 Share Posted March 25, 2006 For this you're a pro bowler. Life really is unfair :mad: j/k thanks - i've tried real hard (like the mods like to say - quality not quantity) congratulations shemp just not going to let it go are you....? thanks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sarge Posted March 25, 2006 Share Posted March 25, 2006 Guess that's what you get when you speak a dead langauge Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SteelerSkins Posted March 25, 2006 Share Posted March 25, 2006 are we are worried about impressing these nothings? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sarge Posted March 25, 2006 Share Posted March 25, 2006 Once there was a NATO meeting in France. There were high ranking military generals from England, France, Germany Australia and America. In a group of generals, the French ambassador heard everyone speaking in English and whined, "Why must we always speak English at these meetings? Why can't we speak French like civilized people?" An American general stepped up and said without missing a beat, "Perhaps it's because the Brits, the Aussies and we Americans arrainged it so you don't have to speak German" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zoony Posted March 25, 2006 Share Posted March 25, 2006 Why is France even relevant? Honest question. Why do we care? Besides Michelin tires, what exactly do the French do? French Onion Soup? French Dressing? :jerk: I cannot think of one contribution that the French make to progress or to the international community. Somebody help me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.