The French Foreign Minister, Mr Hubert Vedrine, said in an interview published yesterday that a Franco-German alliance was the only engine for the EU and it need not be expanded to include Britain.
That suggestion has been floated by Germany's chancellor-designate, Dr Gerhard Schroder.
"I do not see the concrete significance of such a formula," Mr Vedrine told the Corriere della Sera in an interview before the Franco-Italian summit, which opened in Florence later yesterday. "It goes without saying that it is positive for the three capitals to get on well. But, despite its weight, Great Britain cannot yet have in Europe the same role as those countries which have created the euro and will join it," he said.
However, he said that while a special Franco-German understanding was essential, it was not sufficient. "It must extend to all key countries like Italy and others. We can no longer reason like we once did, in terms of alliances, excluding those who are not part of them. It's more a question of knowing who is capable of providing momentum, of launching proposals," he said.
The Italian Prime Minister, Mr Romano Prodi, said in an interview published yesterday in the French daily, Le Figaro, that he regretted what he said was continuing prejudice against Italy, citing the existence of a three-power arrangement in Europe.