MPs attack French anti-war stance
Andrew Mackay (C Bracknell) branded as "deeply unpleasant" French President Jacques Chirac's "threat" of blocking EU membership to Central and Eastern European governments over their stance on Iraq.
British Defence Secretary Geoff Hoon refused to back the criticism but stressed Britain's commitment to the enlargement of the EU.
Last month, the 13 future members endorsed a joint declaration warning Saddam Hussein he had a final chance to disarm.
President Chirac warned the candidates their stance could be "dangerous" because the parliaments of the 15 EU nations have yet to ratify the decision for 10 new members to join in 2004. On Sunday, French Foreign Minister Dominique de Villepin said Paris would oppose a second UN resolution at this stage, and did not rule out wielding its veto to block it.
At Commons question time yesterday, Mr Mackay demanded of Mr Hoon: "Were you satisfied or happy with the comments of your French opposite number (Michele Alliot-Marie) when she visited Warsaw last week and said to the Poles it was better to keep silent when you do not know what is going on?
"Isn't it time that we told our French allies that they are behaving disgracefully, particularly towards our new friends in Nato?"
Mr Hoon said Britain had made it absolutely clear to candidate countries that there would be "no change whatsoever" in its policy in respect of this.
"We welcome the enlargement of Nato and the enlargement of the EU. That will continue to be absolutely central to this government's policy."
Labour's Chris Bryant (Rhondda) asked: "In any of these discussions you have been having over the last couple of months have the Poles or the Czech Republic had a good word to say for the French position?
"Or have they been pointing out that it was France that not only systematically and deliberately supported and strengthened Saddam (and) Hussein also armed him?" Mr Hoon said: "We do not spend our time in these kind of bilateral discussions considering the respective positions of any other country other than the relations which exist between this country and the particular country in question. We haven't had those kinds of conversations."
