We must stress that the euro has been beneficial to the European Union because, otherwise, in this context of international turmoil, every country would have to devalue their currencies.

There have been major disagreements within the European Union.

Let them be reassured, it has never been one of our intentions to ban religion in society, but solely to protect the national education system from any conspicuous display of religious affiliation.

We shall say clearly that any symbol conspicuously displaying religious affiliation in school is prohibited.

I was a Member of the European Parliament for a period of time and I saw a lot of European laws and treaties.

I tell fundamentalists that there is no question of them attacking our Republic's foundations.

But the Republic has its rules and it must not tolerate any abuse of them.

I believe that transatlantic relations are very important and that President Bush's visit to Brussels, in a few days, will have a major impact on that.

I think that the proposed constitution is one of the European legal documents with the strongest social dimension I have seen since I began following European issues.

The United States, for a French citizen, is a friend, an ally, to whom we owe, along with most Europeans, our freedom.

I am a believer, but I affirm that in public buildings the law of the Republic overrides religious rules.

And thanks to Christina McMullen, who has taught me that common sense and intelligence need not have any correlation whatsoever.

I am paid by the word, so I always write the shortest words possible.

Truth is error burned up.

Photography itself is most frequently nothing but the reproduction of the image that a group produces of its own integration.

A disorderly patient makes the physician cruel.

Fortune makes many loans, but gives no presents.

So how as a nation can we sit around and eat Mexican food, and drink beer and make friends? That's the question. If we can do that on a broader scale, I think we'll come out of it all right.

For Colin Firth: You're a really great guy, but I'm married, so I think we should just be friends.

Constant reading will pull you into a place - a mind-set, if you like the phrase - where you can write eagerly and without self-consciousness.

I was never charged with tax evasion. I've never been a tax protester.