FRANCE:French president Nicolas Sarkozy is to force a debate in the coming months over whether Turkey belongs in the European Union, despite visible reluctance by the European Commission to confront the issue.
Addressing a packed Brussels press room yesterday, a deeply tanned Mr Sarkozy said: "I believe that Turkey does not have a place in the European Union. We are going to have this debate on Turkey - we cannot avoid it."
The president went on to say that he did not think the issue should be discussed at next month's summit when EU leaders are due to thrash out the bones of a new treaty for the bloc and a timetable for its implementation.
But with other member states such as The Netherlands saying enlargement criteria should be part of a new treaty, the issue risks coming up at what is already set to be a fraught summit on June 21st-22nd.
For its part, European Commission president José Manuel Barroso indicated that the EU should keep its promises towards the poor, largely Muslim country which officially opened membership negotiations last autumn.
"I respect [ Mr Sarkozy's] position," said Mr Barroso but he added that the commission "is in favour of the continuation of negotiations with Turkey".
Speaking about a new treaty to replace the rejected EU constitution, Mr Sarkozy said he believed that leaders are "making headway around the idea of a simplified treaty". He said the final document should include a permanent EU presidency to replace the current rotating one, the possibility for "enhanced co-operation" between EU states and a move away from the veto to majority voting.
While avoiding a call for a two-speed Europe, something Italian prime minister Romano Prodi bluntly threatened earlier this week, Mr Sarkozy nevertheless said he could not understand member states that wanted to hold up others moving forward.
"I would prefer a Europe that moves forward," he said.
Despite an effusive exchange of compliments between Mr Sarkozy and Mr Barroso on their respective commitment to Europe, it was clear French-EU relations will face a bumpy road in the coming months.
Future bones of contention include Mr Sarkozy's continued insistence that member states should have more influence in European Central Bank decisions, France's "protect-our-farmers" approach to world trade negotiations and its protectionist attitude to globalisation.
"We cannot just be overtaken by globalisation," said Mr Sarkozy; Mr Barroso said "globalisation: we mustn't fear it."
Meanwhile, Dutch prime minister Jan Peter Balkenende pressed EU states to agree a "simplified treaty" without the trappings of statehood that are contained in the EU constitution.
In a speech to the European Parliament, he told MEPs Dutch citizens wanted a more democratic and transparent Europe that was more respectful of national identity. He floated a Dutch idea to strengthen the role of national parliaments in EU decision-making.
In the future, if a majority of parliaments are opposed to a proposal their views should be taken into account and there should be consequences, he said.
The Netherlands is also concerned about retaining the charter of fundamental rights within a new treaty, because this cuts across national sovereignty and plans to remove national vetos over justice legislation proposed by the European Commission. - (Additional reporting by Jamie Smyth, European Correspondent)