BRIZE NORTON: French President Francois Hollande dealt a blow Friday to Prime Minister David Cameron’s hopes of renegotiating Britain’s membership of the EU before a referendum in 2017, saying treaty change was “not a priority.”
At an Anglo-French summit held at an airbase in Oxfordshire, west of London, Hollande indicated he might be open to treaty change in the future to ensure the eurozone was “better coordinated.”
But he noted that any major treaty change could require a referendum in France and said: “We feel that revising the treaty is not a priority for the time being.”
Under pressure from euroskeptics in his Conservative party, Cameron has promised to renegotiate Britain’s position in the EU and put the new deal to a referendum after the next election in 2015.
Hollande told a joint press conference that he “perfectly respected” Britain’s right to hold a vote, but said: “We can’t impose the British choice on Europe.”
Cameron said he remained optimistic of achieving the changes he wanted and British officials say the fact France is even considering treaty change is progress.
The prime minister said: “My position absolutely remains that we want to see those changes, we want that renegotiation.
“That renegotiation will involve elements of treaty change, and then there will be a referendum in Britain before the end of 2017.
Hollande and Cameron continued their debate about EU reform during a “convivial” lunch at the nearby Swan Inn, a riverside pub dating back to 1885 which has featured in hit TV series “Downton Abbey,” British officials said.
Despite their political differences, the two leaders used their first Anglo-French summit since Hollande’s election in 2012 to further cement bilateral cooperation on defense, nuclear energy and space exploration.
The most uncomfortable moment came when a British journalist asked about Hollande’s recent separation from his partner.
The president announced last week he was splitting from Valerie Trierweiler after media reports that he was having an affair with an actress.
“Do you think your private life has made France an international joke, are you still having an affair with Julie Gayet and do you wish she was here?” the reporter asked.
To which Hollande replied: “I will not answer.”
Hollande and Cameron disagree on an EU treaty but sought to emphasize their shared goals to improve growth, create jobs and build a more “efficient” Europe.
The Conservative prime minister praised the Socialist president’s recent moves to boost the struggling French economy.
Members of Cameron’s party have in the past held up Hollande’s administration as a cautionary tale of the damage that Britain’s opposition Labour party might cause to the economy if they are in power.
But the premier said Hollande’s plans to cut business taxes and reduce employment cost and red tape “are the right way to boost investment and create jobs.”
Cameron also praised the Frenchman’s “courageous and determined leadership” in Mali and the Central African Republic, promising further logistical support from Britain for the latter mission.
The summit was held at the Royal Air Force (RAF) base at Brize Norton, the base for British C-17 transport planes helping with the French operations in Africa.
Hollande was welcomed to the base by a military guard of honor and two renditions of the French national anthem by an RAF band, before the two leaders braved the biting cold to inspect some British and French military kit.
In 2010, Britain and France signed a landmark agreement on defense and security cooperation, and on Friday they announced further progress.
Hollande warns over Cameron’s EU plans
