FAO Le Peg du Jake.........

[R1Geezer]

As it's a virtual Friday ABer's I thought I'd refer to another thread where jake mentions he is a regular observer of Le Monde. This got me thinking as to what our EU neighbours generally report about us. Why are we even allowed into the EU? So will anyone with experience care to enlighten us? Are we seen as the Naughty child who will eventually get potty trained? or perhaps the difficult relative who always causes trouble at parties?

[anotheoldgit]

What do they think of us?

This post is a perfect partner to my latest "student post.

[Ankou]

how would we know ? its all written in that johnny foreign lingo.

[Oneeyedvic]

I'm surprised you care R1.

But I suppose it's like saying, what does the UK population think of the Americans.

Some people love them, some people hate them. Most people don't really think about it.

[jake-the-peg]

I think one of the most interesting areas was when there was all the business of the Calais camp of illegal immigrants being broken up.

OK this was Le Figaro rather than Le Monde (Le Figaro's a bit more right wing - a bit Telegraphish) but there were a number of letters expressing the sentiment

"Why should we have to look after all these Afghans that the British won't take! If I were in charge I'd put them all on a train and let the Brits sort them out in London!"

They invaded their country and we're sorting out the mess!

There was a rather funny train of thought about Tony Blair for EU President - along the line of "They're not even members of the Euro and the want Tony Blair to have this job!"

(Want guys? er actually half the country were saying 'over our dead bodies')

But the really bizzare one was when they translated literally the "Hand of Frog" incident - I doubt one in a million got the reference or understood the joke - from a French perspective that must have been totally bewildering they mostly just thought it was a crude insult

Oh well C'est la vie as they say in Islington