The EU and France: a retrospect of one year Sarkozy and a preview on the French EU presidency

“France is back in Europe,“ French president Sarkozy stated after the parliament had adopted a law enabling him to ratify the Lisbon Treaty, and he added that now politics has to be put back into Europe. This he wants to happen during the French EU presidency where issues like exchange rate, trade, industrial, competition and financial policy, as well as climate, energy, immigration, an overhaul of agricultural policy and defence and security will be put on the agenda. In the first year of his time in office, Sarkozy visited all major European capitals and developed and presented a multitude of new, but often controversial ideas. The French EU presidency which starts on 1 July will be of great importance. Does Sarkozy really want to use his initiatives like the Mediterranean Union or the strengthening of the EU defence capacities in order to make the EU stronger or does he rather want to use them to make France stronger in Europe (and the world)? How constructive will he be concerning the accession negotiations with Turkey? Will the French presidency advance further integration and enlargement of the EU or will it rather slow down these processes?