12.10.06

Same here...

Today, Ms [Ségolène] Royal decided to speak out on the thorny question of whether Turkish killings of Armenians from 1915 to 1923 amounted to genocide. Following the week-old lead of the French president, Jacques Chirac, and that of Mr Sarkozy, Ségo came out to say that Turkey had to recognise it had committed genocide, before it could ever join the EU.

She was speaking a day before the French national assembly was due to debate a law that would impose a prison sentence on anyone who denies the Armenian genocide, while on French soil.

Given that many supporters of Turkish accession suspect this whole project is yet another attempt to make it as hard as possible for the country to join the EU, it seemed reasonable to ask Ms Royal whether she thinks Turkey should join the EU one day.

Her informative reply to a Paris press conference? To note that the French electorate had been promised a referendum on whether Turkey should be admitted, right at the end of the long and painful accession negotiations that are due to stretch out until 2015 or beyond.

Ok fine, but where does she stand, then? Her final offer: "My opinion is that of the French people."

Heavyweight stuff.