euro|topics - France prior to its EU Council Presidency

04/07/2009

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Main focus of Tuesday, June 10, 2008

France prior to its EU Council Presidency

In just a few weeks France will take over as President of the Council of the European Union. This is a crucial time: the EU Reform Treaty - and thus the future of the European Union - seems threatened by referendums and court actions in several member states. What does Europe expect of France?

NRC Handelsblad - Netherlands

With an eye to France's Presidency of the Council of the European Union, the newspaper takes a closer look at the ambitious character of French President Nicolas Sarkozy: "Sarkozy wants to be a leader of European stature. To this end the EU Council Presidency must be the crowning touch. But people in Europe have been awaiting the arrival of such an ambitious president with some trepidation for months now. ... To calm the critics, France is casting itself as the classic president, promising to be modest, to do its best to listen and to be neutral and balanced in its approach. A classic list of priorities was established. ... But since then Sarkozy has proven himself a lone wolf. He is considered an outsider, a maverick who wants to have the final say on everything. ... And all this has damaged his position." (10/06/2008)

Le Figaro - France

Simone Veil, former President of the European Parliament, describes her enthusiasm for the upcoming French Presidency of the Council of the European Union. "I look to Europe with optimism. ... In an insecure world it is an exceptional place of stability and true prosperity. ... This presidency will open new perspectives for European construction. By that I mean possibilities for a common course of action that respects our separate identities. We should not fear new fields of action on a European level, for they will only enhance our strength." (09/06/2008)

Süddeutsche Zeitung - Germany

Martin Winter stresses the significance of German-French relations for the French EU Council Presidency. "Sarkozy does not face an easy task. But just as France put its weight behind Germany's efforts as EU Council President, Berlin will now support Paris. For all the disagreement between the two countries, neither can afford to see a weak EU. Neither can they wait for others to spur on the Union. Among the larger countries, London plays the role of an outsider, while Madrid and Rome are weakened by domestic political problems. And Poland is not ready by a long shot. ... France and Germany bear special leadership responsibility for the EU. Not only because they initiated the unification process and are economically powerful, but also because such a large community needs a powerful flywheel." (09/06/2008)

Hospodářské noviny - Czech Republic

The business paper Hospodarske Noviny takes a sceptical view of Franco-German relations in the context of France's EU presidency: "Although both countries are traditional European allies, their relationship is not particularly harmonious. Merkel has promised to give the French presidency her full support, but there are tensions in the background. ... Merkel is sabotaging some of Sarkozy's projects, like the Mediterranean Union. And for its part Paris is trying to strengthen ties with Central and Eastern Europe, where Germany in particular is pursuing its own economic and political interests." (10/06/2008)

» To the complete press review of Tuesday, June 10, 2008

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