Posted on 07/05/2005 10:27:15 PM PDT by quidnunc
Paris – The French interior minister, Nicholas Sarkozy, sounded the death knell for the 50-year-old Franco-German alliance yesterday and suggested instead a core group of six European states.
Mr Sarkozy, who is a potential candidate for the French presidency in 2007 and who has fraught relations with the president, Jacques Chirac, said the Franco-German alliance was no longer practical in an EU of 25 states.
"In a Europe of six members, the engine was obviously Franco-German," Mr Sarkozy told Europe 1 radio. "A Europe of 25 needs an engine of five at first and probably six, with Poland."
The others would be Britain, Spain and Italy.
Mr Sarkozy said the large countries in Europe had a responsibility to lead. "Countries of 40, 60 or 80 million inhabitants count for more in Europe than countries with a few 100,000 inhabitants."
He was speaking at a meeting of interior ministers in Evian. He made his comments as Mr Chirac was attending the Olympics meeting in Singapore. The president remains wedded to the Franco-German alliance, but Mr Sarkozy's model for Europe is closer to what the British government would like.
A British government source described Mr Sarkozy's comments as "interesting from a senior French politician". The source was reluctant to go further for fear of inflaming Mr Chirac on the eve of his arrival in Britain for the G8 summit, but noted that Mr Sarkozy was only voicing what was already fast becoming reality: extensive contact and discussion between the biggest EU states.
-snip-
(Excerpt) Read more at politics.guardian.co.uk ...
very low threshold - Chirac is trying to be the EU Howard Dean!
Some things seem so logical as to puzzle over the need of stating them.
" very low threshold - Chirac is trying to be the EU Howard Dean!"
Don't you mean: "Howard Dean is trying to be the US Chirac?"
I mean, really, noone outdoes Chirac in terms of stupidity!
You are right - better that way.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.