Un bain turc froid pour les Turques par Chirac?

Calling President Bush, Prime Minister Blair, and Foreign Secretary Straw: Eat your hearts out! Chirac might well give the Turks a cold shower! A cold Turkish bath, so to speak!

According to the EU Observer, French President Chirac has said that Turkey needs to undergo a major cultural revolution if it is ever to become a member of the EU.

These words, just one day after the 30-hour marathon session to get agreement among the members of the Union, and after the Austrians had to suffer a humiliating climb down. Will the last laugh, however, be with the Austrians after all?

After a meeting with Silvio Berlusconi of Italy, the President of France, although he expressed support for Turkey's bid, was doubtful whether the mainly Muslim country would ever become a member of the Union, according to the EU Observer.

It is encouraging to note that José Manuel Barosso, the President of the European Commission, has stated that Turkey must win the hearts and minds of European citizens ... They are ones who, at the end of the day, will decide about Turkey's membership.

These are encouraging words indeed! Does this mean that the powers that be in Europe are at last beginning to realize that Europe is supposed to be democratic? Does this mean that the opinions of the people do matter to them after all? Does this indeed mean that Chirac is preparing to flex his muscles with the President of the United States of America? We all know what Chirac thinks of President Bush; so he can't be at all pleased with the recent politics of the Anglosphere, with Bush's last minute pressure on Austria to back down.

Are we now to prepare ourselves for the sparks to fly across the Atlantic?

©Mark Alexander