To reach an agreement on the course of the Treaty of Lisbon, the Council of Europe had to make a step back in relation to the commission reform. According to the draft, the number of members of the Commissioner Council should have equalled two thirds of the member states from 2009. On the other hand, Sarkozy explained us that it was necessary to give Ireland a commissioner to obtain from it the promise to set up a new referendum in 2009. Thus, the reform of the Executive was actually given up. To the request to produce a synthesis of his six months as leader of the European Union, Sarkozy answered: "Today, Europe is stronger with respect to the beginning of the French presidency. I learnt to listen to everybody, to take into consideration everybody’s reasons, to be flexible, and to avoid any kinds of drifts". "Fair and equal compromises" are necessary within the European Union. And he added: "Europe cannot be treated by governments as though it was a problem of foreign affairs. Europe is our business, our daily business". Europe "deserves to be loved, represented and defended". Next week, Sarkozy will be in Strasbourg to meet the European parliament, then passing the community office onto the government of the Czech Republic on January 1st.
