Posted on 06/27/2005 7:15:33 PM PDT by blam
Paris anti-Britain plot backfires
By David Rennie in Brussels
(Filed: 28/06/2005)
A French charm offensive aimed at driving a wedge between Britain and new EU member states ran into early trouble yesterday after bullying from top French ministers.
First, the French interior minister, Nicolas Sarkozy, demanded that the European Union's future enlargement be "suspended" to allay the fears of French voters.
Nicolas Sarkozy
Then Philippe Douste-Blazy, the French foreign minister, provoked a row between Paris and Warsaw by hectoring his Polish counterpart over his warm links with London.
Emerging from a crisis summit of ministers in Paris, Mr Sarkozy declared that France's rejection of the EU constitution in last month's referendum meant Europe needed to change direction.
In a clear warning to aspiring EU members such as Turkey, Croatia and Ukraine, Mr Sarkozy said France needed to "clearly ask questions about the borders of Europe".
The foreign ministers of Germany and Poland, as well as Britain's Europe minister, Douglas Alexander, distanced themselves from Mr Sarkozy's comments, made shortly before a crucial summit involving France, Germany and Poland.
Enlargement is a priority for Poland, Hungary and the eight other, mostly ex-Communist, countries that joined the EU last year.
Shouldn't the cross in her picture be hanging upside down?
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