Europe has made a sensational arrival in the debate of the French presidential campaign. Socialist Party candidate François Hollande said  he would seek to renegotiate the European fiscal pact agreed to by Merkel and Sarkozy. On his side, French President Nicolas Sarkozy sent an ultimatum on Schengen Agreements, completed with a “Buy European Act” on the American example.

The seventeen eurozone states, plus several other EU states but no Britain, agreed to a new deal aimed at saving Europe's common currency. New EU treaties require unanimous ratification by member states (most states holding parliamentary votes and some like Ireland requiring referendums). However, the new deal was termed as an "intergovernmental accord", suggesting it does not fall under the democratic rules for treaties concluded between sovereign States. Our MEP Marta Andreasen, of the UK Independence Party, explains why UK has now been relegated to the “second division” in Europe, and that, according to her, it is now time to “withdraw” completely.

What will be the role of elected representatives of the European people in foreign policy and common defense policy?