” “” ” ” “In his address in Strasbourg, Sarkozy lingered on some topics that will be priority issues during the presidency that France will hold in the second half of 2008: climate change, competition ("viewed as a means, not as an end"), defence, "ecological taxation", "re-foundation of the common agricultural policy as from 2013", immigration and the Schengen zone ("a common migration policy is required"). The speaker repeated he will work to "put France back at the heart of the building of Europe". To do this, he intends to "strengthen friendship between France and Germany", "convince England to ratify the new Treaty", "talk with the Eastern countries that have the same rights as the founding countries". Then, the president re-stated his willingness to go on with the reforms started in Paris: "When France is fine, all Europe benefits from it". Sarkozy quotes the Belgian Paul-Henri Spaak and the French Simone Veil and concludes: "The citizens expect us to face all these challenges. We have no more time to waste if we want people to trust Europe again": "in all of this, you can count said Sarkozy to the MEPs on French commitment to Europe".” “” “” “
