CHIRAC’S GREAT TV GAMBLE FALLS FLAT

Seldom does a French president come down from his cloud to mingle with the people. Jacques Chirac may regret having done so last week.

His entry into the “yes” campaign for the referendum on the European Union constitution was meant to have been a triumphant affair, a demonstration of his legendary powers of persuasion.

Instead, it has backfired. Two polls published yesterday after Chirac’s television encounter with 83 young adults gave the “no” vote a 12-point lead, the highest level yet recorded.

In both surveys — for Paris-Match magazine and Le Parisien — 56% of respondents pledged to vote against the constitution and only 44% in favour.

A rambling, repetitive Chirac faced the indignity on Thursday night of being repeatedly interrupted, not just by the cheeky young television presenters but also by the carefully vetted members of the audience.

At one point Chirac was asked whether he would resign if the vote went against him, as Charles de Gaulle did in 1969 when he lost a referendum on the organisation of the regions.

Chirac tried to put a brave face on such lese-majesty and managed a smile.

Fifteen consecutive polls have now shown that a majority of the public intends to vote against the constitution on May 29. This would effectively kill it off since the rules state all 25 EU members must ratify it.

The trouble is that few people believe him any more. ... This explains the vitriolic rhetoric being used about him, even by figures who are supposed to be on his side. They include Valéry Giscard d’Estaing, the former president who headed the Brussels convention that drafted the constitution.

“He is not credible,” sniffed the imperious Giscard on Thursday night. He considers himself the only French politician capable of explaining the constitution, if only because he wrote most of the text.

And it seemed like only yesterday that the world hung on Jack's every pronouncement.

So what's Plan B?

French Foreign Minister Michel Barnier warned that Paris has no plan B if voters reject the EU constitution, reiterating that a "no" would seriously weaken France. "We have put everything on the table. There will not be another constitution," he said.

How hateful this idea of France joining a club where she must compete with petty nations! Nations who are ill-mannered and do not know when to shut up! Even that old standby of identifying the "NON" opposition with an Anglo-American boogeyman looks to fail.

[All emphases aded.]

Chirac has missed a good opportunity to keep quiet.

:-P

I'm Polish - not that I felt particularly offended when Chirac berated us that way, because 15 years after collapse of communism we have regained enough self-confidence to laugh at the frog rather than feel hurt. Nevertheless, Chirac's comment was amusing.

Anyway, thumbs up to Brits, both for knowing how to behave and for its economy overtaking the French dirigisme.