Posted on 07/06/2005 12:37:08 PM PDT by Pikamax
Paris Olympics failure is a blow for Chirac Wed Jul 6, 2005 7:16 PM BST
By Timothy Heritage
PARIS (Reuters) - Paris's defeat by London in the race to host the 2012 Olympic Games was a bitter blow for French President Jacques Chirac that was all the more painful because he lost out again to his rival Tony Blair.
Chirac badly needed a victory to lift his political fortunes after a French "No" vote on the European constitution that left him sorely wounded and a furore over comments attributed to him criticising British food.
The prime minister not only emerged as the winner in what was billed as another showdown with Chirac following a row at a European Union summit last month, but he did so with the flair normally attributed to the French.
"Tony Blair acted brilliantly. He has a dynamism which makes him win all his bets, win all the gambles he takes and win all the challenges he sets himself," said Pierre Durand, an Olympic gold medallist in equestrianism for France in 1988.
"They have the luck to have a prime minister who is young, emblematic, charismatic, deliberately looking to the future and at odds with 'Old Europe'. You can feel it on every level."
How galling such comments must be to Chirac, who failed in his own gamble of going to Singapore at the last minute to lobby members of the International Olympic Committee (IOC).
How unfortunate for Chirac that his flight from Singapore took him only as far as Scotland where the 52-year-old Blair will be his host at an eight-nation summit -- and the cooking will be British.
Newspaper Liberation said Chirac cracked jokes to Russian and German leaders about bad British food on Sunday. "You can't trust people who cook as badly as that," it cited him as saying.
CHIRAC OFFERS CONGRATULATIONS
"I am of course, like all French people, disappointed by this decision," Chirac told reporters on arrival in Scotland, where he said he would have the chance to pass on "warm and personal congratulations" to Blair and Queen Elizabeth.
Chirac, 72, had hoped that securing the Olympics would have lifted the sagging confidence of French voters and given a boost to the sluggish economy by creating jobs and generating revenues for tourism, construction and the service sector in general.
Critics speak of a "fin de regne" (end of reign) after Chirac's 10 years as president. His hopes of winning or even running in the next presidential election in 2007 are now slim.
Chirac's popularity has dropped since French voters rejected the EU's constitution on May 29 -- partly out of discontent with his policies -- and he suffered a new blow late last month when a row with Blair meant the EU did not agree a long-term budget.
Chirac labelled Blair's stance "pathetic" at the EU summit after Blair said he would make concessions on Britain's budget rebate from the EU only if the bloc agreed to a wider review of spending, including the hefty subsidies French farmers receive.
The two men also took opposing positions over the U.S.-led Iraq war, in which Blair was U.S. President George W. Bush's staunchest ally while Chirac led resistance to the invasion.
Chirac has little to encourage him on the economic front because growth is slow and the unemployment rate is at a five-year high of 10.2 percent. Opinion polls show many French centre-right voters would also prefer Interior Minister Nicolas Sarkozy to be the conservatives' presidential candidate in 2007.
"What is certain is that there is a feeling of a France that doubts itself, and this vote will accentuate it," said political analyst Pascal Boniface.
"Bizarrely, one would not ask questions about a British decline if Paris had won and London were second."
Yes, maybe Chirac could become a gay taxi dancer.
Okay, everybody, hear that? It's Family Reunion time in London--2012! Send your family photos to Mad Ivan.
Wots second prize? Hosting two Olympics? Don't take this the wrong way, but I was relieved that it wasn't New York. 225 miles is a lot closer'n I ever want to get to the 'Limpics.
France deserves the Olympics, Britain oughtn't elect politicians who engage in these ego trips. (Nor should 'Merica, but haven't we apologized for the Clintons enough?)
Is Crow a French national dish?
You just had to work out the lead in tonight for CBS didn't you?!
I can just read it now, they'll be citing "Mr. Wyrm, a reliable conservative scoure close to the Administration" that the President is considering resignation now that New York failed to get the Olympics. The American Empire is now over and conservative Republicans are marching to the sea like lemmings to drown themselves for the shame of it all.
I don't get it. Do we feel any less significant or less relevant because N.Y.C. was not selected? I sure don't. Our national ego wasn't dependent on the U.S. being selected. How small of an economy must you have to rely on hosting the Olympics 7 years in the future?
The BRITs ought to let the french cater the affair since they believe their cusine is superior to the BRITs .
Chirac has just invented a new dish.
"Le pied braisé avec la compote de framboise."
Chow down Jacques.
Sacre bleu!! Eet must, how-you-say, suck to be Jacques Iraq. It must truly bitez le big one.
He is up merde's creek sans paddle.
There's that phrase again. It's becoming part of the global vernacular. Way to go Rummy.
Aye, Blair wins again. That is indeed good news. Sadly, that also means many FRidiots will hide from threads such as this one, you know, those who parroted the Corrupt Old News Media nonsense about Blair having to "Step down" shortly after his historic 3rd PM election victory.
Only now will those foolish posters begin to see that Blair is stronger than ever.
You really need to see some of the footage from Paris after they lost. Trust me, it's worthwhile.
Regards, Ivan
Blair can stay on for the full 5 years if he wants now. He's now incredibly well positioned. He may be in better shape than any leader in the EU.
Regards, Ivan
The French they are a funny race,
They won’t dump the leaders who spit in their face!
Jacques, il faut mieux mettre du glace la desus.
I'm sure it was worth a ton(ne) of Schadenfreude but now you gotta put on an Olympic. It's like marrying Paris Hilton, there's the initial thrill, but do you really want to live this way?
Well apparently Lord Coe, the man leading the bid, did find a way so the balance sheet suggests we will make a profit. If you want to help, come visit us in 2012. ;)
Regards, Ivan
Fox News is reporting that the final vote was London 54, Paris 50. So, although we may have been kidding about it, Chirac's remarks about British and Finnish cuisine might really have made the difference.
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