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Sarkozy calls for major EU change Warning as France takes EU helm
(about 2 hours later)
French President Nicolas Sarkozy has called for a profound change to the way Europe is being built, as France took over the presidency of the EU. French President Nicolas Sarkozy has said "something isn't right" with the European Union, as France took over the rotating presidency of the bloc.
Speaking on French TV, Mr Sarkozy said there had been "errors" in the way Europe was set up and that its citizens were losing faith in the project. Speaking on national French TV, Mr Sarkozy warned that Europe's citizens were losing faith in the project.
France has an ambitious agenda for its six months at the helm that includes immigration, defence and agriculture. France set out plans on immigration, the environment, agriculture and defence for its six months at the helm.
Paris formally takes on the rotating presidency from Slovenia on Tuesday. But correspondents say that grandiose agenda is in doubt because of Ireland's rejection of the Lisbon reform treaty.
French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner started the process with a handover ceremony in Nova Gorica, southern Slovenia, on Monday. Taking over the presidency from Slovenia, Mr Sarkozy said his priority would be to get all the other EU states to approve the treaty and then see what could be done.
France is not facing the positive outlook it had hoped for at the start of its EU presidency class="" href="/1/hi/world/europe/7476140.stm">Can French flair beat EU blues? class="" href="/1/hi/world/europe/7482195.stm">France set for lively EU presidency The treaty cannot come into effect until it has been approved by all 27 member states.
Later in the evening, the Eiffel Tower in Paris was lit in blue with gold stars, symbolising the EU colours. France is not facing the positive outlook it had hoped for at the start of its EU presidency class="" href="/1/hi/world/europe/7476140.stm">Can French flair beat EU blues? class="" href="/1/hi/world/europe/7482195.stm">France set for lively EU presidency class="" href="/1/hi/world/europe/6901353.stm">Q&A: The Lisbon Treaty
The document is meant to streamline EU decision-making following enlargement of the bloc. It is also meant to create a new EU president and foreign affairs chief, appointments which France is supposed to oversee at the end of its tenure.
But the BBC's Hugh Schofield in Paris says last month's Irish rejection of the treaty means once again it is the EU's institutional shape - rather than anything it can actually do - that is in the spotlight.
Speaking on France 3, Mr Sarkozy said: "Something isn't right. Something isn't right at all."Speaking on France 3, Mr Sarkozy said: "Something isn't right. Something isn't right at all."
He added: "There have been errors in the way Europe has been built. We must therefore profoundly change our way of building Europe."
He said concerned citizens in Europe were now "asking themselves whether, in the end, they will be better protected by national authorities than European ones".
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The Eiffel Tower is illuminated as France takes over the EU presidencyThe Eiffel Tower is illuminated as France takes over the EU presidency
Correspondents say the French president's long list of "priorities" may prove unachievable. "Europe worries people and, worse than that, I find, little by little our fellow citizens are asking themselves if after all the national level isn't better equipped to protect them than the European level," he added, calling such thinking a "step backward".
Mr Sarkozy's real priority will be dealing with the aftermath of Ireland's referendum rejection of the EU's Lisbon reform treaty, says the BBC EU correspondent Mark Mardell. Mr Sarkozy said: "The first priority is to pinpoint the problem with the Irish voters and to continue to allow other countries to be ratified, especially our Czech friends."
'Average shape'
The treaty was meant to streamline EU decision-making following enlargement of the bloc to 27 members.
It has to be ratified by each one of those members - so the Irish rejection has cast a shadow over all other EU projects.
Bernard Kouchner is aware France faces a difficult six months
Mr Sarkozy, who will travel to Dublin on 11 July to hear Irish voters' concerns first-hand, said: "The first priority is to pinpoint the problem with the Irish voters and to continue to allow other countries to be ratified, especially our Czech friends."
Asked if Ireland should vote again, he said: "I don't want to say it like that because it would give the impression of forcing their hand."Asked if Ireland should vote again, he said: "I don't want to say it like that because it would give the impression of forcing their hand."
The French foreign minister reflected the mood at the handover ceremony in Nova Gorica. Mr Sarkozy will travel to Dublin on 11 July to hear Irish voters' concerns first-hand, a day after he presents the priorities of the French EU presidency in an address to the EU parliament in Strasbourg.
His Slovenian counterpart, Dimitrij Rupel, said France was inheriting the EU in "rather good shape". EU leaders are due to meet in October are due to hear from Ireland's prime minister on how to move forward after the "No" vote.
"Well, yes, let's rather say it is in average shape," Mr Kouchner retorted. Ireland's prime minister is deciding his next move after the "No" vote
In an indication of one of the issues likely to loom over France's presidency, French lorry drivers blocked roads around Paris on Monday in protest at rising fuel prices. Mr Sarkozy also said that during France's EU presidency he would work for a Europe-wide cut in value-added tax on restaurant bills and oil to help consumers cope with soaring crude prices.
They are demanding government compensation - though Mr Sarkozy's suggestion that the EU reduce VAT on fuel received little support from other members. But his calls for the EU to cut VAT on fuel has received little support from other members.
A ceremony celebrating the start of France's EU stint is to be held at the Arc de Triomphe in Paris on Tuesday afternoon. French lorry drivers blocked roads around Paris on Monday in protest at rising fuel prices.
Mr Sarkozy and Prime Minister Francois Fillon are to kick off the France's stint at the helm of the EU by meeting European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso on Tuesday afternoon.
A ceremony is to be held afterwards at the Arc de Triomphe in Paris.