My favorite thing about this article is that the author says "a historic." "An historic" annoys the pee-water out of me.
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In European Union Milestone, 10 Lands Sign Pacts to Join
By FRANK BRUNI

ATHENS, April 16 — During a historic ceremony in the cradle of democracy, the leaders of 10 countries signed treaties here today to join the European Union, extending its reach to include a broad swath of Europe once allied with the former Soviet Union.

The ceremony was a milestone in the union's largest single expansion ever, which will be completed in May 2004, when the countries formally become union members.

It also brought together the heads of states of the union's most populous nations for the first time since the American-led invasion of Iraq. They seemed intent on seizing the opportunity to move past the bitter rifts in the union that the war opened.

In a series of meetings on the sidelines of the ceremony, union leaders prepared a joint statement agreeing that the United Nations should play an important role in rebuilding post-war Iraq, according to diplomats here. The statement was not released.

But it signaled a desire by union leaders to bridge the differences between them. While Britain and Spain, for example, supported the war in Iraq, France and Germany opposed it.

During comments at the ceremony, the leaders of those and other countries in the union sought to emphasize its shared principles of democracy and freedom.

"Those are the values that unite the E.U., whatever differences there may be," said Prime Minister Tony Blair of Britain, who not only supported the war in Iraq but sent British troops there.

Chancellor Gerhard Schröder, who strongly opposed the war, called the treaty-signing ceremony a cause for "joy that we are creating a really united and peaceful Europe that has excellent economic and political perspectives."

The French president, Jacques Chirac, who also opposed the military campaign to depose President Saddam Hussein of Iraq, walked side by side with Mr. Blair into a luncheon before the ceremony. It was the first time the two leaders had met since the start of the war.

Their aides said that they chatted amiably, determined to move past the antagonism that had developed between them over recent months.

But there were lingering disagreements, not only over Iraq.

In a meeting here this morning that lasted several hours, leaders of some of the union's more populous countries advocated that its rotating six-month presidency, currently held by Greece, be abolished in favor of a more permanent position.

Leaders of less populous countries disagreed, fearing that such a change could diminish their influence.

The opposing views underscored the difficulties that the union, rapidly growing more diverse, confronts in striking a balance of power between founding members like Germany and France and newcomers like Malta and Slovenia.

The countries that signed accession treaties today, in addition to Malta and Slovenia, were Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland and Slovakia.

The ceremony was rich in upbeat symbolism. It was set at the foot of the Acropolis, on a site that was once an ancient assembly hall at the center of Athenian democracy.

But the surrounding streets of downtown Athens presented a less reassuring scene. Some of the thousands of protesters who gathered to stress their opposition to war clashed with policemen in riot gear, who used tear gas to disperse them.

In an attempt to maintain order and security, Greek law enforcement officials had closed most of the city center to regular traffic, and more than 10,000 police officers were on hand.

<font color="#ffccff">I think this may show that these guys just do a job and at the end of the day move on....maybe.</font>

It's a quirk of the language. Do we say "a honest mistake"? But then we don't say "an helpful person" or "an heretic" do we?

How about 'Herb'. You Yanks leave off the 'H'. Do you then say "an 'erbal remedy" or "a Herbal remedy" like the rest of Anglica? (except for dem East Lon'on folks)

Right, Yorick, it all depends on whether or not the dialect being "spoken" makes the H silent or not, IMO. That in and of itself determines which one sounds better.

As a Londoner I would definitely say "An 'istoric"

A nospital

Woohoo go Hungary! :D I'd like to point it out that I hate it when they always say "nations that were previously allied with the Soviet Union"!! :mad:
Do you think Hungary had a choice? France/England/America didn't give a shit about Eastern Europe so they let the bloody comunists take over and didn't even help in the 1956 uprising when Hungary tried to shake communism off. The only reason for the "alliance" with the soviets is that THEY put their own puppets in power and no one could do anything. The situation was exactly like it was under Saddam Hussein in Iraq up until the 70's. People disappearing without a trace, curfews (sp?) etc.

<font color=orange>Doesn't this sort of sound like the arguments for and against the Electoral College here in the US? The populous states want to do away with it and the the less populous states want to keep it, because they feel they will lose influence.</font>