Events

On September 20th, the Robert Schuman Foundation held a conference in partnership with the Franco-German relations program of the DGAP (German Council on Foreign Relations) to discuss perspectives on French policy towards Europe under President Sarkozy. The chairman of the Foundation, Jean-Dominique Giuliani, and Joachim Bitterlich, former ambassador and executive vice-president for international affairs at the Veolia Environment Group in Paris, introduced the debate by outlining the principal elements of Nicolas Sarkozy's European policy.

Mr. Bitterlich spoke in favour of a constructive German attitude towards M. Sarkozy, based on a clear definition of national interests. M. Giuliani argued for a better comprehension of Mr. Sarkozy's various positions, which, from a German point of view, could be considered "confrontational". M. Giuliani also said that he regards M. Sarkozy as a "pro-European" president.