I think that the proposed constitution is one of the European legal documents with the strongest social dimension I have seen since I began following European issues.

The United States, for a French citizen, is a friend, an ally, to whom we owe, along with most Europeans, our freedom.

I believe that transatlantic relations are very important and that President Bush's visit to Brussels, in a few days, will have a major impact on that.

It's true that the question of Iraq divided Europe.

Prohibiting a visible religious sign, which isn't a manifestation of militancy, would look like a fight against religions.

But the Republic has its rules and it must not tolerate any abuse of them.

It's a different outlook, and one that I understand. When you are a former member of the Warsaw Pact, when you have lived behind the Berlin Wall, when you have experienced the communist systems that existed in these countries, for them, the West represents hope.