FRENCH PRESIDENT JACQUES CHIRAC BRIEFLY WALKED OUT OF A EUROPEAN UNION SUMMIT ON THURSDAY WHEN THE FRENCH HEAD OF THE EU'S INDUSTRY LOBBY ADDRESSED LEADERS OF THE BLOC IN ENGLISH, ACCORDING TO REUTERS. A FRENCH OFFICIAL SAID CHIRAC, FOREIGN MINISTER PHILIPPE DOUSTE-BLAZY AND FINANCE MINISTER THIERRY BRETON LEFT THE ROOM WHEN ERNEST-ANTOINE SEILLIERE, HEAD OF THE UNICE BUSINESS LOBBY, BEGAN SPEAKING IN 'THE LANGUAGE OF BUSINESS' AT A SUMMIT SESSION WITH THE EU'S SO-CALLED SOCIAL PARTNERS -- EMPLOYERS AND UNIONS. HE MISSED THE FORMER HEAD OF THE FRENCH EMPLOYERS' BODY URGING THE LEADERS TO 'RESIST NATIONAL PROTECTIONISM IN ORDER TO AVOID A NEGATIVE DOMINO EFFECT' IN THE EU'S INTERNAL MARKET -- A VEILED CRITICISM OF FRANCE AND OTHERS WHO HAVE SOUGHT TO BLOCK CROSS-BORDER TAKEOVERS. CHIRAC RETURNED AFTER SEILLIERE HAD FINISHED TO HEAR ANOTHER FRENCHMAN, EUROPEAN CENTRAL BANK PRESIDENT JEAN-CLAUDE TRICHET, ADDRESSING THE LEADERS IN FRENCH. TRICHET, A FORMER BANK OF FRANCE GOVERNOR, ALMOST ALWAYS SPEAKS ENGLISH AT THE FRANKFURT-BASED ECB. --MORE 23 50 LOCAL TIME 20 50 GMT
