Lisbon Treaty a litmus test for Sarkozy as France heads EU

Lilian Budianto , The Jakarta Post , Jakarta | Thu, 07/03/2008 10:38 AM | World

French President Nicolas Sarkozy faces a litmus test of his skills when he attempts to put the Lisbon Treaty's ratification process on the right track in the next six months of his country's European Union presidency, an expert said.

Nicolas Jabko, senior research fellow at the Center for International Studies and Research in France, told a forum on Tuesday in Jakarta the Lisbon Treaty would provide a constitution for the EU and allow member countries to take a common stance on political, security and foreign policy issues.

"There have been a lot of conflicts in Europe on issues such as Iraq. EU members will cooperate and come up with a common EU position once the Lisbon Treaty comes into force," Jabko said.

Jabko was speaking at a seminar titled "French in the European Union Today", organized by the French Embassy to mark the start of the French Presidency for the Council of the European Union.

During its EU presidency, France is expected to focus on four key areas -- energy and the environment, immigration, defense and agriculture.

The success of the French presidency will be measured by the ratification of the treaty. Currently only 19 out of 27 EU members have ratified it, and last month Irish voters outright rejected the ambitious EU constitution in a referendum.

Jabko added the EU would also increase its presence in Asia and adopt a stronger policy toward emerging economies after the ratification.

Benny Bahanadewa, secretary of the Foreign Ministry's American and European Affairs Directorate General, said the EU was increasingly concerned about energy resources and nuclear development in Asia.

He said the EU was also feeling the pinch of rising food and fuel prices, which critics have attributed to scarce supplies and futures speculation on commodities.

Bantarto Bandoro, a foreign policy expert from the Centre for International and Strategic Studies (CSIS), said Asian countries should anticipate more political interference, especially on issues relating to the environment and democracy.

"Asian countries, which are still struggling with issues of environmental destruction and the enforcement of democracy, should take a firmer position to prevent the EU from interfering in their affairs," he said.