Jacques Chirac has possibly made an error of communication: the speech he made last week on Europe (see our bulleting of 7 March, p.7) was in the context of his electoral campaign and he made it available on the site of a political movement. This speech thus passed unnoticed internationally and was viewed as an electoral move at home. It does, however, seem to point towards a significant development in French stances along favourable lines towards increasingly strong European integration, even though some ambiguities remain over the choice between the "Community method" and the "intergovernmental method". Over and above these perplexities (that are by no means secondary), for now I shall limit myself to summarising the design for Europe contained in the "Strasbourg address", placing emphasis on the operational measures. There will still remain time for a few comments.
1. A formal statement. According to Mr. Chirac, France should propose "a formal statement" to its partners defining the broad outlines of the EU's foreign policy regarding security, the environment, aid to development and dialogue between cultures. He stipulated: "our ambitions will then be clearer to other countries and more tangible for the people of Europe", concerning, for example, implementation of the Kyoto Protocol, controlling globalisation, more generous aid to poor countries.
2. Ambitions for the defence policy. Europe will have to be able to engage in military operations "with its own assets, without being systematically dependent on NATO". It will progress in this field "by the efforts of all and through the initiatives of some". Chirac proposes organising "a summit meeting of European countries intending to make this special effort in defence matters", so as to discuss the ambitions as well as a "powerful and organised defence industry".
3. An Economic and social model. Social Europe will have to ensure protection against the uncertainties of life, solidarity and the fight against poverty and social exclusion. At the same time, the EU must develop a genuine European economic policy comprising: a European financial market; a common market for energy (but safeguarding "our services of a general interest"); harmonisation of the tax on savings and company tax; interconnection of the Internet and TGV networks.
4. Knowledge and culture. Europe must set itself ambitions concerning language learning (each young European should be able to speak two foreign languages at the end of compulsory education), a strategy in the realm of high level training and a European civic education.
5. Justice. Mr. Chirac spoke in favour of a common police force and a European prosecutors office.
6. Democratic legitimacy. The measures recommended are essentially: a) closer involvement by national parliaments in Community work; b) the extension of the power of the European Parliament's co-decision; c) a method of elections to the EP that brings the electorate close to the elected; d) a Constitution for Europe, approved by a referendum.
7. A strengthened European Commission. For Chirac, the Commission "must be strong" and consequently have a "tighter composition", remain "independent of States and political parties" and conserve its "monopoly of initiative". The Community method must be "preserved and renewed".
8. A President for Europe. "The European Union must be provided with a President. Let's place at the head of the Council a person elected by its members for a sufficient length of time. This president would incarnate Europe in the eyes of the rest of the world and confer on the institutional system the stability that the EU needs to be strong", said Jacques Chirac.
9. A new style presidency for the Council. The half-yearly rotation not being viable for an enlarged Europe, Chirac suggested two formulas: either a Council chaired by its Secretary General (as we stand, it would be Mr. Solana), or a presidency handed to "colleges of Member states representative of the Union's diversity" (formula already suggested by British Foreign Secretary Jack Straw, see this section of 2 March).
10. A "pioneering group" in inevitable. Jacques Chirac said: "The Union must be able to continue to move forward when it has 25 or 30 members. I remain convinced that only a pioneering group, open to all who respect the acquis communautaire, will allow to preserve the necessary capacity for momentum".
11. Preserve the CAP and cohesion policy. "I would oppose any placing into question of these two pillars of European construction that are regional policy and the common agricultural policy". Both must evolve but, said Chirac, "you can count on me to ensure that neither of them are denatured or dismantled".
(F.R.)