L'Assemblée Nationale

From the official record of the French National Assembly, 24 November:

M. Noël Mamère: Democratic debate requires respect for others: I ask you to apologise publicly for the remarks you have just made in your position as an MP. I am defending freedom, and do not regard myself as a threat to our country! If you consider, Mr Sartrosi, that defending fundamental freedoms constitutes a threat to the republican pact, you have destroyed the equilibrium! We do not have the same idea of democracy and republican values! Your remarks have wounded me (Exclamations from the UMP benches) and I solemnly ask you to withdraw them! Respect democratic debate, to which I am contributing like you, even if I am isolated! Perhaps you believe I am wrong, but let us wait for the verdict of the electorate—and of history!

M. Rapporteur: I had occasion to tell you this morning...

M. Noël Mamère: All the wonderful things you think of me!

M. Rapporteur: ... the respect I have for you as a Member of Parliament. With regard to Article 7, I believed I had reassured all and sundry. Words can be inflammatory, and I shall bear that in mind: your interpretation of the text is exaggerated. Let us return to the true meaning of this text, as I did in amendment 31, without ending up with such fevered exchanges! Recognize, Mr Mamère, that you are not helping the progress of our work... We are all devoted to fundamental, public and individual freedoms: let us stick to the text!

M. President: I’d like to point out that this was only a clarifying amendment... (Laughter on various benches)

This English "translation" (Babelfished, then panelbeaten) doesn't quite do justice to the original; as strictlytrue has previously reported, French lends a truly epic feel to almost any situation. All arguments sound as if they're conducted at swordpoint. I've really had to rejig it to try and do justice to "Nous verrons ce que diront les électeurs, et ce que dira l'histoire!"

Crucially, Les Comptes Rendus don't have the near-embargo on exciting punctuation that we do over here. At the first sign of trouble they break out the exclamation marks. (It could even be argued that they maybe get a little carried away.) Also they have stage directions, which Hansard is sorely lacking. It creates far more of an atmosphere when you know that there were "Murmurs on the UMP benches", or, as here, "Exclamations".


EDIT: Thanks to everyone who helped M. Mamère's interjection become a reality. You know who you are. You guys!