Unveiling the Grauniad's new columnist...Jacques Chirac

As the paper that printed an opinion piece by Osama Bin Laden, its nice to see the Guardian again give an up-and-coming young journo a chance by commissioning Jacques Chirac - the President of France according to the blurb at the end of the article - to write a piece in today's paper.

The article is worth reading, though. Entitled "Zidane, Gitane and Champagne", the Prez reveals what was actually said on that night in Berlin ('you'll never advertise 'Just for Men'" was apparently the damning final remark from the Italian centre-back), that big Jacques' only ever smoked a Gitane once and that was to celebrate an oil deal with Saddam Hussein, and that Chirac still has about 400 bottles of champagne stashed away in his cellar from the time when he was Mayor of Paris*.

Whatever else he is though, Chirac is brave...he's had his article posted on CiF, exposing himself to the kind of people who have programmed themselves a keyboard short-cut for 'Zionist-Imperialism' and who think that "Blair+Bush=Hitler" constitutes a reasoned argument. This being the case, I do hope the NUJ Chapel at the Elysee Palace is making sure Chirac's getting his proper rates...

*As Mayor of Paris Chirac and his wife, Bernadette, spent roughly £300 per day on their personal food and drink alone.