Earlier this month Jack packed his clean underpants, his hairnet, and a small tin of sandal paste in an overnight kit, summoned an entourage of ministers (5!*), businessmen (30**) and a fawning press befitting a (co-)prince, gathered up wifey, and headed east to talk up France and promote all things French.

But before leaving Jack had already stepped in it. Several times.

There was le Clém, about which we have posted here and here.

FRANCE'S CHIRAC TO WOO INDIA AFTER TOXIC SHIP SPAT

PARIS February 17, 2006 (HT/Reuters) - Sceptical about a globalised economy increasingly championed by its Asian beneficiaries, Chirac nevertheless brings in his train the cream of the Paris bourse, anxious to extend their business in one of the world's most dynamic zones.

"At a time when Asia is taking a major role in the world, the president wants more than ever to pursue and intensify the effort, with a view to establishing very dense relations with Asian states," Chirac spokesman Jerome Bonnafont said.

France is only 15th on the list of India's suppliers, far behind the United States, Britain, China and Europe's top exporter, Germany.

But with his state visit to India days away and with so much at stake for France's pretensions as a multipolar player, for French commerce, and remediating goodwill with India, incredibly Jack involved himself directly in a transnational commerce dispute between two non-French companies: Arcelor, registered in Luxembourg, and Netherlands-based Mittal Steel, which is owned by Indian industrialist Lakshmi Mittal.

CHIRAC FIRES HOSTILE BROADSIDE BACK AT MITTAL
NEW DELHI February 20, 2006 (AFP)

ARCELOR ROW CLOUDS CHIRAC INDIA VISIT
NEW DELHI February 20, 2006 (ExpressIndia/Reuters)

CHIRAC DENIES STEEL BID RACISM
NEW DELHI February 21, 2006 (Guardian)

A competent head of state -- for that matter, a marginally competent head of state -- might have left government criticism of this deal to some ministerial minion to argue the French position. But not Jack. Clearly missing an excellent opportunity to shut up, Jack did not just articulate the French position badly, he also showed himself to be misinformed about several key facts.

MITTAL FIRES BACK AT CHIRAC OVER ARCELOR BID

NEW DELHI February 21, 2006 (AFP) - Indian billionaire Lakshmi Mittal has fired back at charges by President Jacques Chirac that his 23-billion-dollar bid for steel giant Arcelor contradicts normal business practices.

"We have made a fully transparent offer for Arcelor which is based on sound industrial logic ... we will create a stronger European company with a strong global footstep," Mittal told Tuesday's Economic Times. "We believe this logic is well understood in the favourable response the transaction has received from the market," Mittal said, referring to a sharp rise in Arcelor shares.

To Chirac's insistence on Monday that, "We have absolutely nothing against a non-European bidding against a European company," Mittal replied that Netherlands-based "Mittal Steel is a European company." Chirac also described Mittal as British. In fact the Kolkata-born [= Calcutta, sic, AFP gets it wrong: Mr. Mittal was born in Sadulpur, a town in the Churu district of the state of Rajasthan on the opposite side of India from Calcutta, where he went to school] magnate lives in London but still holds an Indian passport.

The row over the offer by the world's largest steelmaker for its nearest rival cast a shadow over Chirac's trip intended to bolster trade and promote future nuclear cooperation.

"Indo-French summit: Mittal steels show," said The Pioneer in a front-page headline. "Mittal hot rolls Chirac barbs," said The Economic Times.

Chirac said he did not understand "what all the fuss is about" adding it was "the right of the Europeans to be concerned about employment problems, technology problems.

We can only shake our heads.

Then there was this, Loi No.209, France's narrowly conceived law prohibiting religious apparel in state schools. (Our criticisms of this bad law are collected here.) Originally intended to bully Muslim schoolgirls into being good Republicans and inspire collateral Republicanism among their lawless Islamite brothers, this law amerced all religious equally. How could it not? Caught up in this bad law was the French Sikh community, whose well-behaved sons were now denied their distinctive turban, the dastar.

ALLOW FRENCH SIKHS TO WEAR TURBANS, CHIRAC URGED

NEW DELHI February 20, 2006 (NewKerala.com) - A Sikh religious body Monday made an "humble appeal" to visiting French President Jacques Chirac to lift a law barring Sikh students from wearing turbans and scarves, pointing out that it was "imperative" for the community's members to keep their hair unshorn and covered. Lifting the ban "would be very much in tune with French traditions and ethos", the letter said, adding: "Additionally, you shall earn Sikh gratitude and (their) appreciation of French traditions for all times."

FRANCE WILL RESPECT SENTIMENTS OF SIKHS: CHIRAC

NEW DELHI February 21, 2006 (Sify) - French President Jacques Chirac has said his country may allow Sikh students to wear 'patka'(scarf) instead of turban' in educational institutions and added their sentiments would be respected. The French President gave an assurance to this effect to Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha L K Advani who called on him in New Delhi on Monday. Briefing newspersons, BJP parliamentary party spokesman Vijay Kumar Malhotra said that when Advani had urged him to reconsider the ban on turbans in schools in France and allow at least 'patkas', Chirac immediately assured him that his government would do so.

''You can assure the Sikh community, on my behalf, that their sentiments will be taken care of,'' Chirac told Advani.

But how can this be? If the turban and the patka (i.e., under-turban) are both indicative of Sikh religious observance, how can one be prohibited and the other allowed? And since when is Jack empowered to grant such a dispensation to Republican law? And why now after the law has been in place for two years? Junk law. Junk politics. Junk promises.

CURRY WORRY
Jack Antagonizes Then Visits India, French Begging Bowl In Hand

During a photo-op in India, Jack was presented a parchment with the Seven Social Sins enumerated by the Mahatma (Young India, 1925). We wondered, were the Indians telling Jack something in that charmingly indirect way of theirs? The Seven Sins read:

1. Politics without principle.
Well, this is the essence, no, the quintessence of la Girouette
2. Wealth without work.
3. Pleasure without conscience.
4. Knowledge without character.
5. Commerce without morality.
6. Science without humanity.
7. Worship without sacrifice.

* Embassy of France in India: "The President led a large delegation of businessmen, journalists, and five Cabinet Ministers, namely: Mrs. Michèle Alliot-Marie, Defence [the dimmest bulb in the dark Chirac marquee™]; Mr. Philippe Douste-Blazy, External Affairs [alternate dark bulb of the dark Chirac marquee™]; Mr. Thierry Breton, Economy, Finance & Industry; Mrs. Christine Lagarde, Foreign Trade; and Mr. Léon Bertrand, Tourism."

** "Accompanying Chirac will be executives from Airbus maker EADS, heavy engineer Alstom, oil giant Total, nuclear power station builder Areva, STMicroelectronics, defence firm Dassault, the world's largest cement maker Lafarge and Schneider, the world's top electrical equipment maker."

PFFT (What is this?): Jack on parade 3 | Rayonnement français 0

Bonjour,

Affaire Mital ?

Tiens parlez-nous de la déferlante protectionniste raciste et xénophobe qui déferle sur les USA...
Vous qui donnez des leçons de morale et de libre échange au monde entier expliquez-nous pourquoi vous refusez que vos ports passent sous contrôle des financiers musulmans de DP World ?
Et c'est vous les yankees qui nous ordonnez de faire entrer la Turquie dans l ' UE ?
Non !! mais de qui vous vous foutez ????

Good luck for your country in Irak !!! (et vous en avez besoin !!!!)