Minister: “France Is Not An Ass to Kiss!”
WHOOPS! Typo. Heh. Goofy me.
Minister rejects ‘Asterix’ image of France
Gérard Larcher, France’s employment minister, said on Monday that US and UK investors were unfairly writing off France as “an Asterix village” for its outspoken state intervention, even though it was the world’s third biggest destination for foreign investment.
HP said “piss-off” to negotiations earlier by virtue of their €700m ($839m, £475m) paid in taxes in France. Never fear, the French have leapt into the competitive fray.
The French government is planning to spend €1.5bn over three years to develop 67 “poles of competitiveness” across the country, as well as a further €3bn for high-technology companies from the newly created agency for innovation. These plans are intended to attract more foreign investment.
Ooooh, very nice. Soon they’ll have a Ministry of Silly Walks, too. 
World Stuff | Mr. Bingley | 
September 28, 2005 1:20 pm
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So. It’s not an asterix, is it an obelix?
“Poles of competitiveness” ??? – I thought they were afraid of the competetive Polish plumbers. Must be an Non-Union thing.
They are deathly afraid of Polish plumbers. I read all about it.
“67 poles”, “72 virgins”, “76 trombones” ~ I mean, where do these people come up with these numbers??
Maybe the Minister ought not to reject this image of France – it’s one of the last images of France as defiant and triumphant, rather than whiny and irrelevant. A confident people wouldn’t fret so.
Besides, these guys rock, even in translation. Getafix the Druid, heheheheh.
Numbers are the Measure of Production and highly significant to Socialists, 23-hour work-week and all that.
Thank gawd there’s an explanation! I spend my days endlessly confused.