Thursday

28th Mar 2024

Sarkozy calls for definition of 'borders of Europe'

Nicolas Sarkozy, a presidential hopeful in next year's French elections, has suggested the EU should become clear about where its borders lie and what other types of partnerships it can offer to countries aspiring to join the club.

Several high-profile speakers at the congress of the centre-right European People's Party gathered in Rome on Thursday (30 March) made comments about limiting EU enlargement plans.

Read and decide

Join EUobserver today

Get the EU news that really matters

Instant access to all articles — and 20 years of archives. 14-day free trial.

... or subscribe as a group

Mr Sarkozy, who received strong support from the forum for his ambitions to become the new French president, argued Europe needs to give "political answers" to some crucial questions before it can offer solutions to the "crisis" it is currently facing.

"We have to ask: should Europe have borders? And the answer is yes, it should," he said, adding "A Europe without borders will become a subset of the United Nations."

"Another question is what exactly is 'privileged partnership'? Can we just consider accession and nothing else or what exactly do we have to offer?"

'Privileged partnership' has been floated by some EU leaders as a potential form of integration for countries like Turkey and Ukraine - bringing closer ties than they currently have with the EU but not offering full membership.

Leaders of both countries say they want to be full members of the club, with Turkey already having opened membership talks with Brussels.

Austrian chancellor Wolfgang Schussel said in his speech that the EU should keep its commitments to the Balkans and its promise to "begin negotiations with Turkey" - but stressed "Europe can't extend itself without limit... Europe must have its core."

Deeper Europe first

The EPP's congress was attended by eleven centre-right government leaders from the member parties across Europe, as well as European Commission president Jose Manuel Barroso.

German chancellor Angela Merkel did not make any comments on further EU enlargement - although she herself recently mooted the idea that a "privileged partnership" could be an option for some states of the western Balkans, as well.

But in a speech, she indicated there is a link between Europe's enlargement policies and the institutional changes it requires.

"Some countries were happy to join the EU but they are not happy about its deeper integration," she said, pointing out that the enlargement issue requires "a great deal of tact" from politicians at the moment.

The institutional make-up of the EU after enlargement was outlined in the EU constitution but its ratification was put on ice after last year's failed referendums in France and the Netherlands.

The EPP congress is due to adopt a memorandum expressing support for the document.

"We want the achievements and reforms proposed by the Constitutional Treaty to become reality," says the draft memorandum.

Speakers at the party's congress did not float new ideas on how it could be achieved given the current deadlock.

But Mr Sarkozy said some compromise should be found for the 14 countries that have already adopted the treaty as well as for those that failed to convince their citizens to support it.

He argued political leaders should "re-assemble" and "struggle with the text" and set some timetable to agree on its potential changes.

Ukraine slams grain trade restrictions at EU summit

Restrictions on Ukrainian agricultural exports to the EU could translate into military losses in their bid to stop Russia's war, Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky warned EU leaders during their summit in Brussels on Thursday.

Difficult talks ahead on financing new EU defence spending

With the war in Ukraine showing no signs of ending any time soon, EU leaders will meet in Brussels on Thursday and Friday (21 and 22 March) to discuss how to boost the defence capabilities of Ukraine and of the bloc itself.

Opinion

Why UK-EU defence and security deal may be difficult

Rather than assuming a pro-European Labour government in London will automatically open doors in Brussels, the Labour party needs to consider what it may be able to offer to incentivise EU leaders to factor the UK into their defence thinking.

Latest News

  1. Kenyan traders react angrily to proposed EU clothes ban
  2. Lawyer suing Frontex takes aim at 'antagonistic' judges
  3. Orban's Fidesz faces low-polling jitters ahead of EU election
  4. German bank freezes account of Jewish peace group
  5. EU Modernisation Fund: an open door for fossil gas in Romania
  6. 'Swiftly dial back' interest rates, ECB told
  7. Moscow's terror attack, security and Gaza
  8. Why UK-EU defence and security deal may be difficult

Stakeholders' Highlights

  1. Nordic Council of MinistersJoin the Nordic Food Systems Takeover at COP28
  2. Nordic Council of MinistersHow women and men are affected differently by climate policy
  3. Nordic Council of MinistersArtist Jessie Kleemann at Nordic pavilion during UN climate summit COP28
  4. Nordic Council of MinistersCOP28: Gathering Nordic and global experts to put food and health on the agenda
  5. Friedrich Naumann FoundationPoems of Liberty – Call for Submission “Human Rights in Inhume War”: 250€ honorary fee for selected poems
  6. World BankWorld Bank report: How to create a future where the rewards of technology benefit all levels of society?

Stakeholders' Highlights

  1. Georgia Ministry of Foreign AffairsThis autumn Europalia arts festival is all about GEORGIA!
  2. UNOPSFostering health system resilience in fragile and conflict-affected countries
  3. European Citizen's InitiativeThe European Commission launches the ‘ImagineEU’ competition for secondary school students in the EU.
  4. Nordic Council of MinistersThe Nordic Region is stepping up its efforts to reduce food waste
  5. UNOPSUNOPS begins works under EU-funded project to repair schools in Ukraine
  6. Georgia Ministry of Foreign AffairsGeorgia effectively prevents sanctions evasion against Russia – confirm EU, UK, USA

Join EUobserver

EU news that matters

Join us