Eurocommissaris mist Europa in Franse presidentsverkiezing (en)

Jacques Barrot i, the French EU commissioner, has warned the French presidential candidates that France could lose out if it does not resume its leadership role in Europe.

In an interview with the Financial Times, Mr Barrot, responsible for EU transport, said Europe is in danger of becoming the "big forgotten issue" in the French presidential campaign, at a time when the country needs to get out of its "whingeing, pessimistic and defensive" mindset.

He said a positive debate is vital in a country that, by voting "no" to the European constitution in 2005 "did a Zidane" on the EU bloc - a reference to the French footballer's infamous 2006 World Cup final head butt.

Mr Barrot claims the presidential candidates - led by socialist Segolene Royal and centre-right interior minister Nicolas Sarkozy - have either played down European issues or used the EU as a scapegoat for France's problems.

In France meanwhile, Mr Sarkozy is holding on to the pole position in the presidential race, according to the latest survey by BVA, with 31 percent of respondents set to vote for the Union for a Popular Movement candidate in next month's ballot.

Ms Royal is in second place with 25 percent, followed by Union for French Democracy leader Francois Bayrou with 17 percent, and Jean-Marie Le Pen of the National Front with 14 percent.

The EU has only been an intermittent theme for the leading candidates.

Last month, Mr Sarkozy chastised the 18 countries who have already ratified the EU constitution for discussing European integration without involving France. He also proposed paring down the EU treaty in favour of a 'mini-treaty' that does not need to be put to a referendum.

By contrast, Ms Royal said earlier this year that she favours holding a new referendum on any revised EU constitution, and has proposed making the treaty more attractive to the French by attaching a social declaration.