Finns serve a seasonal banquet to impress
David Charter and Rory Watson in Brussels
"Desperate to salvage national pride after Jacques Chirac dismissed their food as the worst in the world, the Finnish hosts of yesterday’s EU summit went to extraordinary lengths to serve up a seasonal banquet to impress the French President.
They flew berries from the Arctic circle, shipped fresh fish roe from the Gulf of Bothnia and served leaders a generous Christmas helping of reindeer. They even brought their top national chef to Brussels to oversee the preparation of a feast designed to demonstrate that Finland’s remote position did not make it a culinary backwater. This was the impression given by Mr Chirac when he observed during last year’s Gleneagles summit that one could not trust the British, since “after Finland, it is the country with the worst food”. The joke — made to the Russian President, Vladimir Putin — had serious repercussions for Mr Chirac when just a few weeks later the Finnish Olympic delegation switched to vote for London against Paris to hold the 2012 games, helping Britain to a narrow victory."
Hehheh, britit muistivat vetäistä tuohon mukaan tuon 2012 olympialaisten kohtalon, jonka ärsyyntynyt Suomi, kostona löppäsuiselle huonoja vitsejä laukovalle presidentille, järjesti pois Ranskasta.
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