Complications in Anglo-French co-operation

Adrian Hamilton reflects on Sarkozy's current visit to London. Regarding new opportunities for Anglo-French co-operation, he voices scepticism which is "partly down to Mr Brown's approach, or rather lack of it, to Europe. It is not so much that he is anti-European. He isn't. But he does not see it as a living, developing organism. It is a market, an area, a fact. ... The EU, to him, is a source of domestic political trouble and potential regulatory interference, not an avenue to the world of tomorrow. But then M. Sarkozy is not that much different. He is full of initiatives, it is true, but few are thought out and even fewer followed through. ... He came up with a policy for a Mediterranean-wide grouping without considering the effect on the non-Mediterranean countries of the EU, and in particular Germany. He believes in intervention to lower the rise of the euro currency but never squares this with a policy of laissez faire economics."

» full article (external link, English)
More from the press review on the subject » International Relations, » EU Policy, » France, » United Kingdom
All available articles from » Adrian Hamilton

» To the complete press review of Thursday, March 27, 2008