French Minister Strikes back: EU Commissioner Abandoned Reason

Bulgaria in EU | September 15, 2010, Wednesday // 10:51|  views

French EU minister Pierre Lellouche and EU justice commissioner Viviane Reding walking into a prior meeting on Roma integration. Photo by EPA/BGNES.

French European affairs minister Pierre Lellouche has vividly retorted on EU justice commissioner Viviane Reding's threat to start an infringement procedure against France on its allegedly discriminatory Roma policy.

Tuesday commissioner Reding characterized the way French authorities have targeted Roma as a "disgrace," vowing the the EC will have no choice by to sue France.

Speaking for French RTL radio and TV Wednesday, minister Lellouche characterized Reding's words as a "blunder", exclaiming: "This kind of blunder is not something passable!"

Later on he added "I would like to think that Reding's passion has come ahead of her thought."

Minister Lellouche stated that France fully respects EU institutions and that he has no intention of starting a war of words.

He nevertheless appeared agitated at words by Reding likening the French government stance on Roma to the actions of French Vichy regime during the Second World War.

The French EU Affairs Secretary of State furthermore stated that the infringement procedure suggested by the EU commissioner is "ultra-classic" and nothing spectacular.

He added that it is only the European Court of Justice that can decide whether France is guilty or not.

Lellouche thus dismissed what he saw as the highly judgmental and paternalistic tone taken up by the European Commission.

"It is not like this that one addresses a great country like France, the homeland of human rights!" exclaimed the French minister.

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Tags: deportation, European Court of Justice, Second World War, Pierre Lellouche, Viviane Reding, European Commission, France, Roma, infringement procedure

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