France takes up EU reins

Jospin and Chirac: Will they work together?

By BBC's James Coomarasamy

France is taking over the presidency of the European Union at what appears to be an auspicious time.

Its domestic indicators look good. Projected growth is close to 4% this year, while unemployment has dipped below 10% for the first time in almost a decade.

In a relatively short period, a country which has traditionally been seen as bureaucratic has acquired the reputation for dynamism.

EU presidency

Presidency rotates every six months

15 member states

Sweden takes over in Jan 2001

Partly as a result of this economic prosperity, recent opinion polls show that euro-enthusiasm among the general public is higher than it has been for several years. Previously, the trend was towards euro-scepticism.

A series of EU regulations - on everything from hygiene standards in markets to the length of the hunting season - have been perceived, in rural France, as an attack on traditional French values.

In addition, the Franco-German relationship - for half a century, the driving force behind European development - has recovered from a rocky patch. The run-up to the French presidency has seen a flurry of meetings and official visits between the leaders of the two countries, in a bid to set a new, positive tone for the next six months.

For some time, the perception has been that the EU has been drifting; failing to bite the bullet on the central institutional issues, which will affect how it manages its eastward expansion.

Although France must take part of the blame for this state of affairs, it paradoxically gives it the chance to make an impact during its presidency.

France's Gaullist President Jacques Chirac - never the most pro-European of politicians - has started the ball rolling by offering a new vision for the EU. In a speech to the German parliament this week, he called for a group of "pioneer countries" to speed ahead with closer integration, without waiting for others to catch up.

Tensions ahead

The idea of a two-speed Europe will not please countries, like the UK, which are more cautious integrationists, but depending on how the idea is put into practice, others will see it as giving the EU a new impetus.

The German and French leaders want to be seen as united

There are, of course, obstacles on the way to a successful French presidency. France and Germany may be enjoying a second honeymoon, but do not see eye to eye on everything. For example, as the larger country, Germany wants greater influence in EU decisions than France. They currently have the same number of votes.

And then, there is France's complicated political situation. It is currently experiencing one of its periods of cohabitation - in this case, a right-wing president, Jacques Chirac, is sharing power with a socialist prime minister, Lionel Jospin. It is an arrangement that gives France two seats at European summits - although the official line is that both leaders speak with "a single voice".

Normally, this is not a problem - during the three years they have been in power together, Jacques Chirac and Lionel Jospin have generally put their differences aside on the international stage.

But it could be a different matter, when they are playing co-hosts to their European partners - especially with France's presidential election drawing closer.

In 2002, the two men are likely to be competing against each other, just as they did in 1995. This may well open the doors to political point-scoring and one-upmanship.