Chirac blames Blair as EU talks turn sour

Britain and France were locked in a bruising battle at the EU summit tonight as President Jacques Chirac bitterly blamed Tony Blair for watering down the new constitution.

The talks turned sour within hours as the deal on the table was dismissed as just too good for Britain.

The terms of the latest constitution draft – drawn up by Taoiseach Bertie Ahern – give Mr Blair almost everything he wants on his “red line” demands to keep the veto on tax issues, defence, social security and the EU budget.

Tonight an exasperated President Chirac lost his cool over concessions he says rob the constitution of its point – to streamline EU decision-making and stop one country being able to block key decisions in the 25-nation union.

The French president emerged from the first summit meeting tonight and declared: “The ambitions foreseen (for the constitution) are reduced - especially on tax and social security – by the clear position of one country, essentially, the United Kingdom.

“This will be a real problem which will have to be discussed tomorrow.”

He said the whole enterprise was in danger of being blocked by one country - contrary to the spirit of the kind of EU the constitution is supposed to bring about.

He also dismissed the notion that a Briton – Chris Patten - would be acceptable as the next president of the European Commission.

“It would not be a good decision to have a candidate from a country that is not participating in all EU policies,” he said.

France was not alone tonight – German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder and Belgian Prime Minister Guy Verhofstadt joined the anti-British assault over tax and the Finns pitched in to object to Mr Blair’s insistence that the constitution’s Charter of Fundamental Rights should not tie the Government’s hands over workers’ rights and social policy.

The British camp dismissed the disagreements as the cut and thrust of a tough and important negotiation but the irritation was hard to disguise.

“These are choppy waters. They are trying to test our position,” said one British official, adding ominously: “If they want to object they can take the wrap for pulling it all down, not us.”

Mr Ahern was more measured tonight as the EU leaders adjourned for a working dinner to discuss the choice of next Commission president.

He insisted: “There was a general welcome for the latest paper (on the constitution) and a strong sense that it strikes the right overall balance.”

But he said: “I am not over-optimistic about getting a deal overall. There are still some difficult issues.”

He admitted the issue of voting weights – Spain and Poland want more clout at the EU table to match the power of other big member states – remained particularly tricky.

Mr Ahern added: “We are working on it and I think we will get there. We need to reflect on what people have said overnight and come back with a proposal in the morning.”