By John Thornhill in Paris (source www.ft.com)
Published: June 4 2007 22:09 Last updated: June 4 2007 22:09
Nicolas Sarkozy, France’s president, has urged Gordon Brown to leave behind his “outmoded” views on the European Union when he takes over as British prime minister next month.
Describing him as one of Europe’s great finance ministers, Mr Sarkozy said: “Gordon Brown has advanced and modernised the British economy over 10 years. I hope that in moving from Number 11 to Number 10 Downing Street he understands that Europe is not outmoded.”
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His comments underline the deep unease a number of EU leaders feel about the European policy Mr Brown will pursue. As UK chancellor, he largely limited himself to demanding economic reform in Europe and has often seemed keen to distance himself from Brussels for domestic political purposes.
Appealing to Mr Brown to accept the need for a simplified institutional treaty, Mr Sarkozy told the Financial Times and selected foreign journalists: “Europe has need of the UK and the UK has need of Europe.”
Since being elected last month, Mr Sarkozy has been pushing a rapid relaunch of the European Union, arguing for a pared-down constitutional treaty that could be adopted by parliamentary vote. There is concern in several European capitals about how far Mr Brown is prepared to go to overhaul the EU’s machinery and decision making rules.
Mr Sarkozy has struck up a warm relationship with Tony Blair, Britain’s outgoing prime minister, who was the first European leader to visit the president-elect in Paris. Mr Sarkozy has hinted that Mr Blair is prepared to do a deal on a new treaty at the Brussels summit later this month. “I have spoken to Blair about this and I don’t think that one country will carry the risk of blocking Europe,” he said.
The French president said Europe’s leaders accepted the need for a new, short and simplified institutional treaty. He had great confidence in Angela Merkel, Germany’s chancellor and holder of the EU’s rotating presidency, who has been leading attempts to broker a deal.
However, Mr Brown has been notably cooler than Mr Blair about the need for a new European treaty. Mr Sarkozy, a former finance minister, dealt with Mr Brown at meetings with his European counterparts.
Mr Sarkozy defended France’s commitment to agriculture, saying that the security of Europe’s food supplies was vital.
The president also criticised the EU’s trade policy for being excessively liberal and suggested that Peter Mandelson, the British trade commissioner, should be stripped of this responsibility.
Although he described Mr Mandelson as a man of “remarkable intelligence,” he said that such an important dossier should be entrusted to the president of the European commission, José Manuel Barroso. Asked whether he thought Mr Brown shared his vision on trade, Mr Sarkozy said: “No. I don’t think that everybody shares my opinion. I don’t have this arrogant vision. He is more liberal than I am.”
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Tuesday, June 5, 2007
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