Endangered EU presidencies

Over the coming six months France holds the rotating presidency of the EU Council, while Sweden takes over in a year's time. The Stockholm-based evening paper Expressen points to considerable differences of opinion between the two countries, which could represent a much greater problem for the EU than the Irish No to the Treaty of Lisbon. It adds that above all in the areas of enlargement and climate protection, Swedish Prime Minister Fredrik Reinfeldt should lose no time in adopting an unequivocal position: "France, as the first and largest of the three countries that hold the presidency over the coming 18 months, will want to push through its own agenda. Sweden and Reinfeldt must remain resolute and work towards a free-trade-oriented and climate-sensitive Europe. This will be a great challenge for Prime Minister Reinfeldt."

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