Brussels, 23/06/2004 (Agence Europe) - The French members of the Assembly of the Council of Europe left the hemicycle of Monday, upon hearing Jean-Claude Trichet, President of the European Central Bank, start to address them with a speech in English. The Socialist François Loncle shouted (in French, obviously!), "Mr President, the very least you could do is speak to us in French!", before storming out. Mr Trichet tried in vain to explain (in French this time): "Listen, don't go until...", but already found himself being heckled by Rudy Salles. He tried again: "Gentlemen, let me just explain that...", whereupon Rudy Salles also walked out, as did Pierre Goldberg (CR) and three UMP members: Jacques Legendre, Jean-Marie Geveaux and Bernard Schreiner. Mr Trichet was finally able to explain: "If I could just say, in French (...), that in my organisation, the working language is English. That said, I am perfectly happy to speak in whichever language you wish". The President of the Assembly, the Austrian Peter Scheider, told Mr Trichet (in English) that he could speak either language, apologising as, he said, "it has never happened before that a delegation has left due to a language issue".
In a press release, the French members of the Assembly of the Council of Europe announced their intentions to discuss the matter with the French Prime Minister.
It is worth noting that in his regular meeting with the economic and monetary committee of the European Parliament, the President of the European Central Bank gives his opening speech in French, and then fields questions from the MEPs in either French or English. Christian Noyer, the French Deputy to the first ECB President Wim Duisenberg, did the same. Mr Noyer provoked a few objections from the French MEPs, notably the sovereignist William Abitbol, but he never went so far as to leave the room.