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You've gotta love the Gallic charm

Some bright spark once said that you had to like the Germans, but only because they kill lots of Frenchmen.

Now that may seem like an appalling thing to agree with - and this column hates to appal anyone about anything- however you'd have to say that the old Frogs are usually half a step out of line with everyone else in the world.

It doesn't seem to matter what the issue, Les Grenouilles follow their own course and sod everyone else.

Take the latest example of French behaviour when Le Prez, Jacques Chirac, got stuck into the Eastern European nations for siding with the US (and opposing France) over how to handle Soddem Hussein.

The Froggies don't want war and you can't really blame them as the last time they won much militarily was back in Napoleon Bonaparte's day. And it does need to be pointed out that France remains the only major world power that consistently loses wars to Germany.

So, with that in mind, old Jellyback Chirac was 'very French' to the likes of the Czechs, Romanians, Poles, and Hungarians.

'Very French' being a rather genteel way of describing French arrogance, rudeness, unwillingness to see any side other than that of La Belle France and general belief that Paris rules Europe.

He told them in beautifully accented Frog that their backing of the US over Iraq was infantile, that they should shut-up and their desire to become members of the EU was in jeopardy.

Now if I was Jellyback Chirac's advisor I'd be telling him to quieten down a tad. It should be pointed out to Grenouille le Premier that without new nations joining the EU, France wouldn't be able to afford to keep its farmers so well subsidised.

As the great Napoleon said 'In politics, stupidity is not a handicap.' He must have known Jellyback Chirac was on the way.

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