Letter: Eurobank row

Sir: The behaviour of the French government in forcing the splitting of the presidency of the European Central Bank raises grave questions about the true motives of the French participation in the European construction. France's pursuit of hollow grandeur at the expense of reason and noblesse d'esprit could have hardly come at a worse time.

However, now is not the time to express naive shock and jeer from the sidelines at Euro-politics. Nor can we allow a 15-nation project to become a statist and interventionist model designed by the French for them to use as an extension of their own national power.

It is only by playing a full part within the EU that the UK can wrestle with French influence and, together with other countries, try to prevent such acts of egocentrism.

OLIVER CARDIGAN

London W14