France
- Eifel Tower in Paris, France. (Photo: Notat)
France has a population of 64,35 million and an area of 544,000 km2. It was one of the original EEC member states.
Notes
- France and Germany consider themselves the engine-room of European integration. This understanding made it necessary to find compromises within their joint relationship. Thus, France finally accepted German reunification, but at the price of sharing political power. Germany had to introduce the Euro against the will of its citizens, and France agreed to create a Common Foreign and Security Policy, which implied the sharing of its nuclear weapons with Germany.
- As a permanent member of the UN Security Council and with its own nuclear weapons, France is far more influential in world politics, whereas Germany used to be Europe’s economic force. Thus both countries benefitted from the deal which was presented as a Monetary Union in return for a Political Union.
- 55 % of the French voted "non" 29 May 2005 to the proposed EU Constitution.
- President Nicolas Sarkozy took over from Chirac in 2007 as President and adopted the Lisbon Treaty by the French National Assembly without a new referendum.
* Socialist Francois Hollande was elected President in 2012
Links
Assemblée Nationale http://www.assemblee-nationale.fr/
Sénat http://www.senat.fr/
