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France will be taking over the six-month rotating EU presidency on July 1 at a crucial time for the Union. At the beginning of the year, national ratification of the new EU Reform Treaty (Lisbon Treaty) was generally seen as a formality (except for Ireland where a referendum will be necessary) and there was an expectation that the EU could move on from institutional reform to policy delivery. However, a number of divisive issues have already emerged, most prominently Kosovo’s unilateral declaration of independence, the implementation of the EU’s energy and climate change package and France’s proposed Mediterranean Union.
France has adopted a strong position on most of these and other issues, raising the question whether President Nicolas Sarkozy can set aside national interests and unite EU governments behind a common cause. As the holder of the EU presidency, he will be expected to demonstrate exceptional mediation and negotiation skills, which will be even more important as the EU prepares to implement the Lisbon Treaty. This raises a number of key questions:
