European questions have intruded into the French election campaign, signalling that the next European Parliamentary elections may be the first truly European ones

German Chancellor Angela Merkel supports Nicolas Sarkozy’s election campaign. Meanwhile Sarkozy wants to exclude Greece from the Schengen Agreement and has called for protectionist measures within the European Union. Sir Julian Priestley argues that Merkel’s involvement in French domestic politics and Sarkozy’s Euroscepticism indicate that the next European Parliamentary elections may be the first to move beyond national issues and address Europe’s policies, activities and record