Sarkozy 'isolated' in tough stance on enlargement[fr][de] 

Sarkozy's warning that enlargement would not continue unless the Lisbon Treaty enters into force continues to make waves, especially in the countries where the ratification of the new EU treaty is running into difficulties. 

"It simply is not true. Enlargement can go ahead even without the treaty," Czech Deputy Prime Minister Alexandr Vondra said, speaking in English in a 7 July interview for the Bloomberg news agency. "It's kind of a lie. It's not impossible. It's about political will," he added. 

The Czechs "have this political will" and will pursue expansion to southern and south-eastern Europe as one of their main topics when they hold the six-month EU presidency from January, said Vondra, who is in charge of European affairs. 

But pursuing enlargement is easier said than done. Diplomats have often admitted that it would not be difficult to reach agreement over the admission of Croatia, a candidate considered almost fit for accession and enjoying strong support among EU members. But for other prospective new members, the prevailing opinion is that the enlargement perspective should be kept until the countries are ready. Yet no other candidate is conisdered capable of being fit to join in the medium term. 

According to one diplomat, if Sarkozy persists with his hard line, the only victim will in fact be Croatia. France is isolated on the issue, the diplomat told EurActiv, adding that Paris on one side and Prague and Warsaw on the other had "many things to say to each other," calling for them to be open on whatever is dividing them instead of "taking enlargement hostage". 

Amanda Akçakoca,  a policy analyst and programme executive at the European Policy Centre (EPC), told EurActiv that she does not believe that Sarkozy will stop the enlargement process. "There have been political promises that have been made to the candidate countries. They can't just grind to a halt because Ireland didn't ratify the treaty. I think it is very unrealistic to believe that will happen," she said. 

"It is not the candidate countries' fault that the Irish said 'no'. And at the end of the day and in the short term, you're only looking at Croatia because Turkey's enlargement is a very long way off if it ever happens at all and there aren't any other candidate countries apart from Macedonia - and they're not even negotiating," Akçakoca further elaborated. 

She added, regarding the Western Balkans, that it is not in EU's interest to slow down the reform process in the region, which is largely driven by the accession perspective. "I think the majority of member states are still very much behind the ongoing enlargement process and it will take more than one or two voices to grind that to a halt," Akçakoca concluded. 

Hugo Brady  of the Centre for European Reform  in London told EurActiv that Sarkozy was merely using enlargement as a bargaining chip to push for the Lisbon Treaty's ratification. 

"Legally, the enlargement to Croatia is possible - although it will would also require tackling the thorny issue of how to slim down the Commission, which is required under the Nice Treaty if the EU expands to more than 27 countries. Equally, any one country can block Croatia's accession if it chooses to do so. The French are sending a signal to the Czechs not to abandon the ratification of the Lisbon Treaty, and using Croatian enlargement - which will feature large in the Czech Presidency - as the bargaining chip," Brady said.