Romano reconciles Lionel and Jacques
On the occasion of the first official meeting between the European Commission and the French presidency, the two heads of the presidency struggled to demonstrate their unity.
(Archive B2) “ The work between the Presidency and the European Commission has got off to a good start said Romano Prodi at the end of the first official meeting between the European Commission, which he chairs, and the new French presidency of the European Union. This session which was intended above all protocol proved, by the admission of one of the commissioners present, very profitable "," more than under other presidencies added another.
Bi- or tri-lateral talks between the Europeans and their French counterparts took place in the morning at a brisk pace, every half hour. Even the lunch around a "chicken from Loué with raspberry vinegar sauce" was the occasion of a " real work session ". All issues, even those that annoy such as GMOs, mad cow disease, the application of competition rules to sport, and especially the reform of European institutions, have been addressed. And the European commissioners got back into their bus, aptly named “Transval d'Europe”, reassured, happy to see their community work solemnly recognized by the two heads of the French presidency.
Keen to deny any suspicion of European lukewarmness, Lionel Jospin, in fact, insisted on assuring Romano Prodi that “ the government will be extremely mobilized around you for this presidency to contribute not to a success of the European presidency but to successes for Europe under the French presidency ". Echoing certain criticisms, and sounding a bit like a warning to certain ministers tempted by other priorities, the Prime Minister added that " the ministers are well aware that the European agenda must be their priority for the next six months ».
As for Jacques Chirac, somewhat embarrassed at having “omitted” the European Commission during his speech at the reischtag, in Berlin last week, he defended himself from wanting to challenge current institutions ". " When you want to move forward, you have to light the way. Otherwise there is a risk of stopping or bumping into obstacles and spreading out. " he added before concluding, modestly, " I expressed ma vision of the future of Europe ". And, in fact, the final working session in front of the press was above all an opportunity for the presidential couple to demonstrate their regained cohesion. " The French presidency is being prepared with total unity of view » underlined Lionel Jospin.
There are 180 days left to demonstrate that this distribution of roles - to the Prime Minister, the daily work, to the President of the Republic the vision of the future, is the right one.
(Nicolas Gros-Verheyde)
Published in France-Soir, July 2000
