Ding Dong! de Villepin is gone!!!
France announces new government; de Villepin to head Interior MinistryPARIS (AP) - Foreign Minister Dominique de Villepin, a relentless critic of the U.S. war in Iraq, will head the Interior Ministry under a major French government shakeup announced Wednesday.
De Villepin, France's top diplomat since May 2002, will be replaced by European Commissioner Michel Barnier, the presidential Elysee Palace announced.
Au revoir M. Mssrs. Chirac et Raffarin, n'a pas laisser la porte vous a frappé dans l'âne.
According to French Daily Le Monde in its Tuesday edition, French President Jacques Chirac on Tuesday made a contract with his Prime Minister Jean-Pierre Raffarin, asking him to stay for 100 days until the European elections on June 13.In the unprecedented contract between the two, Chirac asked Raffarin to recover the country's situation before the European elections, if he fails, he will quit the post, said Le Monde.
I don't speak frog, but I'll venture a guess... "Don't let the door hit you in the ass on the way out?"
Although Barnier is a definite upgrade over de Villain, the fact that the latter has been moved to Interior Minister probably isn't a real good sign. I see him bending over backwards for the 'suburban youth' starting on his first day in the job.
Or maybe that's 'bending over forwards.' Your call.
Posted by: Chris at April 1, 2004 07:53 AMYou got it. It stuck me as mildly amusing to put the French-looking Kerry's primary anti-Bush stump line to good use.
Backwards vs forwards...I'd venture that M. de Villepin will manage both positions simultanelously...if you get my drift.
Posted by: feste at April 1, 2004 11:22 AM