This is Pave's second birthday post for Jack. He is 74 today.

Coincidentally 74% of the French public have no confidence in him. Were he to reign till he turned one hundred, it's a good guess that 100% of the French public would have no confidence in him.

JACQUES RENÉ CHIRAC
(né le 29 novembre 1932 à Paris)
Happy Birthday, Jack! Time To Go

This, his special day, has been a day of disappointments.

He is far from the familiar sights and sounds of his beloved France -- the street protests, the exploding cars, the poo underfoot. He is in Riga, the capital of Latvia, for a NATO summit. Yes, Latvia, where Jack is wildly unpopular. Yes, NATO, where Jack is wildly unpopular.

UN GÂTEAU LETTON POUR JACQUES CHIRAC,
QUI FÊTE SES 74 ANS
[A LATVIAN CAKE FOR JACK, CELEBRATING HIS 74 YEARS]
RIGA 29 novembre 2006 (Reuters)

Latvian president Vaira Vīķe-Freiberga* presented Jack with a cake topped with red roses, the symbol of the opposition, le Parti Socialiste. Jack didn't bother with the good manners of cutting himself a piece, but did his finger-kissing stunt with Mdm. President.

SURPRISE & SLOBBER
Ah, Some pHisoHex® for Mdm. President, Please!

Also disappointing was the absence of his good multipolar buddy, Vladimir "Don't Make Me Kill You" Putin, who sent his regrets.

POUTINE RENONCE À VENIR FÊTER LES 74 ANS DE CHIRAC À RIGA
[PUTIN GIVES UP COMING TO CELEBRATE JACK'S 74TH BIRTHDAY IN RIGA]
RIGA 28 novembre 2006 (AFP)

UN ANNIVERSAIRE TRÈS DIPLOMATIQUE POUR CHIRAC
[A VERY DIPLOMATIC BIRTHDAY FOR JACK]
RIGA 29 novembre 2006 (Figaro)

This was a typical bit of Jack-engineered diplo-drama. Originally Mrs. Vīķe-Freiberga was to fete Jack at a party attended by the assembled heads of state at the NATO summit ( « souhaiter, avec les chefs d'État et de gouvernement présents, un bon anniversaire » ). But Jack let it be known he only wanted Euro bootlicks and Mr. Putin (ses plus proches partenaires européens et son homologue russe), embarrassing his hostess by pointedly requesting Messrs. Bush and Blair not be invited. When Mrs. Vīķe-Freiberga, a staunch American ally, balked at the impropriety, the French quickly reinvented the story and announced that the birthday dinner was all Russia's idea and, Figaro reports, a petulant America spoilt it. France quietly suffered through it all.

Poor Jack, in trying to use his birthday party to realign NATO he gets no birthday party at all.

Why not send Jack a special birthday message to cheer him up? Click this link to drop him a line. He loves attention.

* Vaira Vīķe-Freiberga is like an anti-Jack, popular at home (70%-85% approval rating) and a steadfast supporter of American policies:

The President of Latvia Vaira Vike-Freiberga met the US President George W. Bush in Riga Castle today. During the meeting the President of Latvia stressed the importance of the USA and their President in the creation of the transatlantic relations as well as highly appreciated the role of the USA in non-recognition of the incorporation of Latvia in the USSR as well as providing big support in the process of the state democratization and reforms after the restoration of the independence of Latvia and also at the moment being a trustful partner within the NATO Alliance. George W. Bush congratulated Latvia on hosting the NATO Summit and stressed its historic importance in NATO transformation and development.

PFFT (What is this?): B-day blues 4 | Rayonnement français 0