French presidential candidates fine tune ideas for Europe
MARK BEUNDERMAN
12.02.2007 @ 09:40 CET
French presidential candidates are fine tuning their political programmes on Europe, with the socialist Segolene Royal proposing to nationalise France's energy sector against EU wishes and with the centre-right Nicolas Sarkozy proposing a "mediterranean union."
Ms Royal, the left's presidential hopeful, on Sunday (11 February) presented her "presidential pact" of 100 measures she would introduce if elected, in a bid to counter recent losses in opinion polls against the centre-right frontrunner Mr Sarkozy.
The socialist candidate's speech, which was seen by observers as clearly oriented towards the left, included some proposals which are set to raise eyebrows in Brussels - notably in the field of energy.
In her manifesto, Ms Royal says she will "create a public energy pole between EDF and GDF," France's big energy and gas firms.
The plan to create a re-nationalised French energy champion comes just as the European Commission is seeking to inject more competition into the EU energy market by crushing national energy giants.
The 100-point plan, drafted after a series of public debates with voters, says that "the conclusion is unanimous: France will not succeed alone. It has to rely on Europe, but not on any kind of Europe. The reconstruction of a political Europe is the priority of many."
Ms Royal proposes the "creation of a government of the eurozone" as well as an inclusion of the "objectives of growth and jobs" into the statutes of the European Central Bank, amid broader criticism in French public debate over the one-sided policy of the EU's top bank on curbing inflation.
Ms Royal seeks to "lift the life quality and social protection in all European countries upwards thanks to a social protocol" - an idea which has emerged also in German political circles.
The social protocol, which would spell out European citizens' social rights, could be attached to a re-negotiated version of the European constitution which French voters rejected in 2005 partly due to fears that it lacked a social dimension.
But EU diplomats see the idea as problematic as any social declaration that is more than just symbolic could encroach on member states' sovereignty over their social security systems.
The socialist candidate in her manifesto reaffirmed her commitment to submit a re-negotiated "institutional treaty" to a referendum - distancing herself from Mr Sarkozy who wishes to avert a second referendum by having a "mini treaty" ratified by the French parliament.
Mr Sarkozy for his part last week proposed a "Mediterranean union" involving EU states as well as Arab states, Israel and Turkey.
The new institution would replace the EU's so-called Barcelona process of co-operation with its southern neighbours, which Mr Sarkozy said has failed.
The centre-right politician said Turkey could play a "pivotal" role in the Mediterranean union project, while reaffirming his opposition to Turkish membership of the EU.
The newly created Mediterranean union would contribute to finding a Middle East peace deal, fight illegal immigration and clean up the environment he said.
