President Jacques Chirac wanted to reassure the French public two weeks before the Brussels summit finalises arrangements for EMU. That was his reason, his aides said, for holding a press conference on European issues yesterday.
Cynics suggested that he was also trying to steal the limelight from the Prime Minister, Mr Lionel Jospin, who will speak to the French Assembly about the euro on Tuesday.
"Europe will mean a stronger and more modern France," Mr Chirac said. A united Europe could better fight corruption, drugs and crime, and cope with immigration.
In a veiled criticism of Mr Jospin's left-wing government's policies, he noted that France's European ambition suffered from handicaps - "too many taxes, too much bureaucracy, too much public spending". France must "place the spirit of enterprise in the forefront of our preoccupations". Thanks to Europe, France would be stronger but it had to affirm itself "as a determined, modern nation". Mr Chirac said he knew many French people were afraid of the new currency, afraid of open borders and competition, afraid of Brussels bureaucracy.
"I understand these hesitations and fears" but "nothing is more dangerous than remaining immobile in a world that is changing". Europe "can and must become the greatest power in the multi-polar world of tomorrow".
The president of the European Central Bank is supposed to be chosen at the May 2nd summit but France opposes the candidacy of Mr Wim Duisenberg, the president of the European Monetary Institute, insisting that the governor of the French Central Bank, Mr Jean-Claude Trichet, be appointed instead.
"I hope that a solution may be reached on May 2nd," Mr Chirac said. "It would be preferable psychologically . . . France will defend its candidate."
Because of the June 1997 Amsterdam Treaty's provisions concerning free movement across borders, France must modify its constitution to ratify the treaty. "This is not a revolution, it is a technical modification that does not seem to justify a referendum," Mr Chirac said. He has not taken a final decision but would clearly prefer the treaty to be ratified by the National Assembly and Senate rather than by a referendum.
Mr Chirac insisted that France would not accept enlargement of the EU towards the east until EU institutions were reformed, particularly the decision-making process. France also rejected the CAP reforms as proposed by the Commission. The proposals would lower prices for cattle, milk and cooking oil too much.
"France alone represents one half of Europe's agricultural production. We cannot accept to be treated casually by people who do not really understand the issues."
