France’s President Sarkozy warns that without the Lisbon Treaty there can be no more EU enlargement.

A magnificent example of the mysterious mirror-world of EU negotiating.

France of course does not want any more EU enlargement, especially if it includes Turkey. See eg lots of Parliamentary haggling in France over a proposal to make Turkey’s eventual EU accession subject to a referendum.

So now France proclaims the logic of enlargement in a perverse attempt to assert the moral/political ‘pro-European’ high ground: noisily championing enlargement while in fact planning on enlargement not happening except maybe for Croatia (now close) and then the other small Balkan states in due course.

So what does France as led by Sarkozy really want?

Probably on balance it wants the Lisbon Treaty to come into effect. Not so much because it deeply cares for the Treaty as such, but because it will be pretty embarrassing for the forthcoming French EU Presidency if a serious mess unfolds.

Plus France wants as little as possible EU enlargement, as France’s punching weight edges down as the EU gets bigger.

Yet Good Technique always must be commended. In this case clarity of expression combined with clarity of purpose.

President Sarkozy:

"Without the Treaty of Lisbon there won’t be any enlargement," he said. "You can’t say no to reforms and yes to enlargement." 

Oh that the British Government had said in the 2005 Budget negotiation:

"Without major reform of the EU Budget there will be no more money from the UK. You can’t say yes to more British money and no to reform."

And meant it.