DF,
thanks for bringing this thing to the light of day as well. In German, we have the word "Gutmensch" for such behavior (i.e., "equidistance-out-of-ignorance", bleeding heart liberal), is it "bon-homme" in French? Sorry, my French has become rusty recently...
OT: You probably will already know this:
http://www.dw-world.com/english/0,3367,1716_A_998157_1_A,00.html
The fact that your fine president represents both France and Germany - even if just for a few hours - doesn't make me feel comfortable.