Iers voorzitterschap tegen Europa van twee snelheden (en)

In an interview with French daily Le Monde, Taoiseach (Irish prime minister) Bertie Ahern - who will assume the Presidency of the EU on 1 January 2004 - has attacked the idea of a 'core Europe'.

Mr Ahern said, "the idea of a 'two speed Europe' or of a 'hard core', where certain countries would try to implement their agenda separately from the others, does not correspond to the common philosophy of the union".

He continued, "I really do not see what would justify a 'two speed Europe' and I am not convinced of its eventual advantages".

With these words, the future EU President may be setting himself up in opposition with the EU's 'motor', France and Germany, who are at the heart of the drive to establish a 'core Europe'.

After the recent failure of talks aimed at creating Europe's first Constitution, French President Jacques Chirac said that "pioneering groups" should be set up that would allow Europe to go "faster and further".

Also speaking after the collapse of the talks, Germany expressed itself in a similar manner on faster integration. Chancellor Gerhard Schröder said, "the countries who want more integration will have to consider this route".

Positive about EU

Despite the undoubted difficulty of his position in having to restart talks over the Constitution, Mr Ahern remains upbeat about the EU and Ireland's place in the union.

The Irish are amongst the most pro-European citizens in the union, said Mr Ahern, alluding to one of the reasons why - "our GDP has doubled in the past ten years because we were in Europe".

But he is aware that his task will be hard. He said, "we will be pragmatic. If the Member States have the political will to advance rapidly, we will obviously be prepared to do everything to help them. If they do not want to, we will have difficulty moving forward".

And he concludes by expressing his annoyance that there always seems to be unfinished business after EU summits.

"It is regrettable that in the past, at each stage of European development, after each treaty, at Amsterdam, at Nice, at each meeting, like recently in Brussels, there is unfinished work, that we leave 'leftovers' like in a bad restaurant.