The Shock of Chirac: Symptom of Teenie Weenie Syndrome?

Poor, sensitive, Jacques:

Yesterday the President said...“I was deeply shocked to see a Frenchman express himself in English at the (EU) Council table.”

Was he annoyed with Saddam Hussein's antics in Abu Graib?

A related article gives some more particulars:

When M (Ernest-Antoine Seillière, the leader of the European business lobby UNICE), who is an English-educated steel baron, started a presentation to all 25 EU leaders (at the first session of a European Union summit), President Chirac interrupted to ask why he was speaking in English. M Seillière explained: “I’m going to speak in English because that is the language of business.”

Without saying another word, President Chirac, who lived in the US as a student and speaks fluent English, walked out, followed by his Foreign, Finance and Europe ministers, leaving the 24 other European leaders stunned. They returned only after M Seilière had finished speaking.

It must be a terrible thing to feel so...small. And apparently very expensive for French taxpayers.