Roma row overshadows summit
Sarkozt attacks Reding’s comments on France’s actions.
Nicolas Sarkozy, France’s president, used the summit to attack Viviane Reding, the European commissioner for justice and fundamental rights, for her comments two days earlier about France’s expulsion of Roma.
Reding launched an unprecedented attack on the French government, on Tuesday (14 September) likening the expulsion of Roma to the experiences of the Second World War.
Lunch discussion
At Sarkozy’s request, Herman Van Rompuy, the president of the European Council, put the Roma issue on the agenda of the summit, for discussion over lunch.
Sarkozy denounced Reding’s comments as unacceptable and criticised her for making them. Reding had been provoked to her denunciation of the French government by a leak the previous day of instructions from France’s interior ministry to police chiefs, appearing to target the Roma.
José Manuel Barroso, the Commission president, interrupted Sarkozy, defending the Commission’s right and duty to check if member states were correctly applying EU law. Barroso and Reding said, on the eve of the summit, that she had not intended to draw parallels between events in the Second World War and the behaviour of the French government.
Reding ‘regret’
Reding said on Wednesday (15 September) she regretted “interpretations which distracted attention from the problem which had to be resolved”.
Boyko Borisov, Bulgaria’s prime minister, said that there had been a “fierce exchange” between Sarkozy and Barroso. Sarkozy denied this, saying after the summit: “If there was one person who remained calm, it was me.” He claimed that he had received “unanimous support” from all leaders for his view that Reding had made “insulting” and “outrageous” remarks.
Diplomats said that only eight leaders took part in the discussion, which lasted around an hour. Silvio Berlusconi, Italy’s prime minister, criticised the Commission. Angela Merkel, Germany’s chancellor, spoke to reinforce the right of the Commission to examine member states’ compliance with EU law. The view of the majority who spoke was that Reding had gone too far in her choice of language.
Van Rompuy said at the conclusion fo the summit that there was agreement that member states had the right to apply their own legislation while the Commission had “both the right and duty” to apply the laws on freedom of movement and non-discrimination” and to launch inquiries. Relations between the EU institutions and member states must, Van Rompuy added, be inspired by respect. EU leaders will discuss the Roma situation at their next European Council meeting on 28-29 October.
Confusion
Sarkozy sowed further confusion when he said at his post-summit press conference that Merkel had told him she was planning to clear camps in Germany. A spokesman for Merkel denied that this had been discussed and that there were no such plans. Germany is planning to return 14,900 refugees, most of whom are Roma, to Kosovo.