[Grand Old Partisan]

"not the beginning of the end, but the end of the beginning"

[Tacis]

My take on the French and most Eurinals is that they initially take positions, extreme positions like this to encourage bribes. Remember, Chirac has lost fortunes in unmarked Iraqi cash and has to replace it some way.

His position on the scarf is just a signal that he can be moved/bought and is now open to offers. Some Muslim/Saudi dude will approach him with a suitcase full of cash and Chirac will find a more moderate approach to the issue. Worry not, they'll wear the scarves in school!