France, it seems, is cracking the whip. Here’s what Chirac had to say about those Eastern European countries that had the effrontery to sign those letters of support for the US position on Iraq:

“It is not really responsible behavior,” he told a news conference (AP reports). “It is not well brought up behavior. They missed a good opportunity to keep quiet.”

There is, it has to be admitted, more than a touch of the ethics of Vichy and the Occupation in Chirac’s suggestion that a discreet silence might be the most appropriate way to behave in the face of a difficult political and moral challenge. Note too the patronizing way (“It is not well brought-up behavior”) in which Chirac presumes to treat the leaders of these countries like naughty schoolchildren.

With the bluster comes, naturally, a threat. Chirac has warned those countries that are candidate members for the EU that their pro-American position could be “dangerous”. Why? Because the parliaments of the 15 EU nations still have to ratify the decision to admit these new members into the EU.

Naturally, like all bullies, Chirac prefers to attack the most vulnerable members of the group, Romania and Bulgaria, two countries that have applied to join the EU, but will not be joining this time round – they may be considered for membership in 2007. They were he said, “particularly irresponsible to (sign the letter) when their position is really delicate…if they wanted to diminish their chances of joining Europe they could not have found a better way.”

Well, we shouldn’t be surprised, I suppose. This is how that sophisticated Old Europe likes to work.