PARIS, June 30 (Xinhua) -- French President Nicolas Sarkozy has pledged to "protect" European Union (EU) citizens and address their day-to-day concerns as his country takes over the rotating EU presidency from Slovenia on July 1.

    In a statement on the French EU presidency website officially launched Monday evening, Sarkozy said France will try to tackle issues such as climate change, immigration, food safety, health, and economy and finance, which are "at the heart of the concerns of Europe's citizens."

France's President Nicolas Sarkozy, seen in this image taken off French TV, makes a point during a prime time news programme in Paris June 30.(Xinhua/Reuters Photo) Photo Gallery>>>

    He warned that the 27-nation bloc would be in danger if it did not turn more attention to issues more relevant to citizens' daily lives.

    "The European idea will be in danger if we don't protect Europeans," he said in a televised interview Monday evening.

    "We have to think about how we can make this Europe a means to protect Europeans in their daily lives ... We must not be afraid of this word -- 'protection'," he said.

    Sarkozy's remarks came amid criticism that EU leaders have spent too much time on institutional reform and somewhat ignored the day-to-day concerns of EU citizens.

    The French president is in a strong "combative mood" to address these concerns, analysts say.

    Sarkozy and his cabinet members will hold a working meeting on Tuesday with European Commission officials, followed by a brief ceremony under the famed Arch of Triumph in Paris marking the beginning of the six-month French presidency.

    On Monday night, the Eiffel Tower was lit up in a dazzling burst of blue and yellow, the colors of the European Union flag.

    However, France's ambitious presidency has been overshadowed by Irish voters' rejection of the EU's Lisbon Treaty on June 13.

    The treaty, designed to streamline the EU decision-making process and improve the efficiency of the expanded union in dealing with future challenges, requires unanimous approval from all EU members before it can come into effect.

    EU leaders have agreed to wait until a summit in October to hear from the Irish government on how to move forward after the "No" vote.

    Meanwhile, Sarkozy insisted that other EU nations must move on with the ratification process.

Sarkozy urges ECB to "think twice" before rate hike

    PARIS, June 30 (Xinhua) -- The European Central Bank (ECB) should think twice before raising interest rates, French President Nicolas Sarkozy said Monday.

    In a live interview with a French TV channel, Sarkozy said the ECB should take into consideration Europe's economic growth and not just inflation while making its decisions. Full story