Sarkozy stated from the floor, in Strasbourg, that he thinks "the extension of the EU" in 2004 and the following ones have been a "success". "Now it’s up to the Balkans he added , but, unless we solve the institutional issue first, we cannot extend the EU’s borders any further. And to do this we must enforce the Lisbon Treaty". Then the speaker pointed out: "I do not rule out that one day we may have a Europe moving at different speeds", with a more integrated core of countries and a circle of states only partly involved in the European project. "But we must bear in mind that in the past Europe paid dearly for its divisions. So we should think it over before we decide to leave some states behind or out". Then he made a direct reference to Poland: "This country has made huge steps forward" towards democracy and Europe, "partly with the help of such people as Lech Walesa and John Paul II. Now can we think that it has been easier for Poland to get rid of Communism instead of staying within the European Union?" Then the French president went back to the priorities of his six months’ programme, lingering in particular on energy and climate, immigration, European defence, common agricultural policy, culture.
