04/06/2003 (Agence Europe) - On Tuesday morning, British Labour MEP John Hume regretted the problems facing British MEPs in getting to Strasbourg following the scrapping of direct Air France flights to Strasbourg. British Conservative MEP Jonathan Evans said that the national strike in France was making the situation worse and that by preventing MEPs from reaching Strasbourg, it was blocking democracy. His comments infuriated the French Preident of the GUE/NGL group, Francis Wurtz, who said it was scandalous for an MEP to challenge the right to strike rather than showing solidarity with his fellow citizens. He pointed out that the French were not isolated since on 13 May, for the same reasons, Austria had experienced its first general strike in fifty years.