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

What's very important is that we build a space that matters in the world, one that operates according to democratic rules, and that small and large countries enjoy a good relationship.

I was a Member of the European Parliament for a period of time and I saw a lot of European laws and treaties.

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

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

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.

We believe that the European Union is facing a truly historic choice.