French presidency of the European Council in 2008 – Wikipedia

The French presidency of the 2008 European Council is the rotating presidency of the European Council carried out in the second half of 2008 (from the first ^is July to December 31st ) by the French Republic. She took over from Slovenia (January presidency in June 2008 ), and it was followed by the Presidency of the Czech Republic (Presidency of January 2009 To June 2009 ). Unlike the presidency of the Council of the European Union, exercised by Bernard Kouchner, it is exercised by Nicolas Sarkozy.

European tensions at the start of the French presidency [ modifier | Modifier and code ]

Oppositions of several Member States to the Lisbon Treaty [ modifier | Modifier and code ]

The Lisbon Treaty, which must define the institutional skills of the European Union and facilitate its operation at 27, has given rise to a referendum in Ireland in Ireland June 2008 , a few days before the beginning of the French presidency, in which the “no” was in the majority. This vote led to a European crisis. Nicolas Sarkozy and the Barroso I commission is pushing for the procedures for ratifying the treaty, which the United Kingdom has done. Nicolas Sarkozy said that without the Lisbon Treaty there is no new expansion possible: it is a signal sent to the Czech Republic, whose President, which is at the entrance to Croatia in the Union, threatened not to ratify the treaty ^{[ first ]} . Polish President Lech Kaczynski also put pressure on that he does not want to sign the Lisbon Treaty, believing that he is “without object” after the refusal of Irish voters ^{[ 2 ]} .

Disagreements between Paris and the European Commission [ modifier | Modifier and code ]

In addition, Nicolas Sarkozy accused the English commissioner Peter Mandelson, who represents the European Union in the international negotiations of the Doha cycle, of having an important part of responsibility in the choice of the Irish to vote no. The French President calls into question his liberal policy which would sacrifice European interests: “If we want to increase the Irish crisis, just put a layer on it and continue on an agreement completely unbalanced to the ‘WTO ” ^{[ 3 ]} . The relations of Nicolas Sarkozy with the Commission therefore deteriorated considerably: after the debates on the Mediterranean Union, the French reaction to the non -Irish is a new apple of discord. Nicolas Sarkozy also very strongly criticizes the policy of rising guiding rates of the European Central Bank ^{[ 4 ]} .

President Nicolas Sarkozy, president of the European Council at 2 ^{It is} semester 2008.

According to Nicolas Sarkozy, “France will not work for it, it will work for Europe. Because the duty of a European presidency is to work for Europe not to work for the country which allows you to exercise the presidency of Europe ^{[ 5 ]} . »

Defense Europe [ modifier | Modifier and code ]

France’s European policy in defense has always been to promote the emergence of an independent European military cooperation force in the United States. The policy defended by France has nevertheless changed with the arrival of Nicolas Sarkozy; France ceases to oppose frontally in the United States (sending additional French troops within the international assistance and security force to Afghanistan, return to the integrated NATO structures, political rapprochement with the United Kingdom ) so that they use their influence in military matters on other European states, traditionally inclined to rest on the ally of across the Atlantic.

This policy is criticized by some political opponents as being “Atlanticist”; This method is nevertheless more constructive than the frontal opposition in the United States, for example according to Ezra Suleiman ^{[ 6 ]} .

Immigration policy at European level [ modifier | Modifier and code ]

The Schengen Convention has removed controls on person trips within the Schengen area, making a global and concerted management of immigration policy at European level. The question of immigration is also an important question for President Sarkozy in terms of domestic policy. This question is also important for countries like Spain, Italy and Germany which are experiencing significant illegal immigration and have a sensitive electorate on this issue.

A concerted European policy on migratory flows must take into account, according to France, the countries of the southern Mediterranean shore. Brice Hortefeux, French Minister responsible for immigration, wants to discuss with European partners of an immigration pact including the refusal of massive regularizations and the harmonization of asylum regimes ^{[ 7 ]} .
France proposes the signature by immigrants of an integration contract. This contract would be one of the components of a common European common policy, but the socialist government of José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero is hostile there ^{[ 8 ]} .

Union for the Mediterranean [ modifier | Modifier and code ]

The French Union for the Mediterranean project, launched without any consultation with the non-Mediterranean European partners in France, parasitized the preparation of the French presidency.

Future of the common agricultural policy [ modifier | Modifier and code ]

The Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) has always been a French political priority, for reasons of domestic policy and financial interests (French agriculture is one of the most important in the EU and receives a large amount of European subsidies). For its detractors, the justifications of the CAP are perhaps more political than economic ^{[ 9 ]} .

Make Europe more visible and accessible to citizens [ modifier | Modifier and code ]

This objective is already that of the Barroso I commission, and has had unequal successes until today. The French presidency provides for a large number of symposia, seminars and conferences which will take place everywhere in France in 2008 to raise awareness of European issues.

Appointment of new EU leaders [ modifier | Modifier and code ]

If the Lisbon Treaty is set up, the occupants of the new EU posts (from June 2009 ) will be appointed under French presidency. The Dutch -speaking Belgian Herman Van Rompuy is finally elected the November 29, 2009 to the new post of president of the European Council.

The president of the European Commission, José Manuel Durão Barroso, is renewed in his functions for a new mandate in August 2009 ^{[ ten ]} .

The French President of the European Union in the second half of 2008 cost 151 million euros, according to a report that the Senate finance committee, chaired by Jean Arthuis ^{[ 11 ]} , a record according to the newspaper The vanguard ^{[ twelfth ]} .

References [ modifier | Modifier and code ]

Bibliography [ modifier | Modifier and code ]

• “The challenges of the EU French Presidency” in The international and strategic journal , n ° 69, spring 2008
• France in the European Union , Jacques Guillaume, Belin, 2007
• “French influence within the European Parliament in mid-term: what strategy by 2009? », Thierry Chopin, in Strategic horizons , n° 4, April 2007

Related articles [ modifier | Modifier and code ]

external links [ modifier | Modifier and code ]