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.
| Not that the Brits would be allowed to lead anything. |
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.
A French government source sought to play down the significance of the interior minister's remarks. He said: "He is saying the Franco-German alliance is essential but not exclusive."
| So the French are willing to sleep around. |
It is not the first time, nor the first subject, on which Mr Sarkozy has publicly broken ranks with France's leader. In June, Mr Sarkozy, who opposes Turkey joining the EU, announced that future enlargement had to be suspended, and that European politics had to be "rethought and recast".
At the same time he questioned the Franco-German axis, saying it was not strong enough to pull Europe. His view is that France should be strengthening its ties with other European countries, including Britain, Poland and Italy, and even repairing cross-Atlantic links with the US that were damaged by the Iraq war. This approach is diametrically opposed to that of Mr Chirac, who, even before the great falling out with Washington on Iraq, preferred to cosy up to Germany and remain aloof from the US.