Leaders vie for supremacy over rival visions of Europe

The war of words between Britain and France is much bigger than a row over the right strategy to pursue on Iraq. It has become a battle over the future of Europe too.

One British minister said yesterday: "This is about what kind of Europe we have – the British vision, with close links with the United States, or the French vision, a rival power block to the US, with France at the centre."

Downing Street's view is that President Jacques Chirac has used the Iraq crisis to pursue his vision, buoyed by his re-election as French President last year and free with one bound from needing to "cohabit" with a socialist prime minister.

Perhaps Mr Blair underestimated President Chirac's desire to use his new domestic power to become the strongman of Europe. One warning sign came when the two leaders had a stand-up row over the Common Agricultural Policy at an EU summit in Brussels last October.

On Iraq, some British officials are believed to have warned that France was not bluffing when it threatened to use its veto at the United Nations. Yet ministers, including Mr Blair, have believed that President Chirac would back down and not block military action. When he gave his television interview on Monday, saying France would not allow the UN to pass a resolution allowing a war, this judgement seemed spectacularly wrong.

Some observers believe that Mr Blair, anxious to play his much-vaunted role as the "bridge" between Europe and America, promised different things to France and the US in order to secure the passage of UN resolution 1441 in November. France had always wanted a second resolution before a war, while America saw no need for one. Perhaps Mr Blair hoped that his powers of persuasion would somehow square the circle.

Mr Blair cannot understand why France, having signed up to Resolution 1441, does not see the "logic" of following it through. In turn, the French do not understand why Britain will not give the UN inspectors more time. There is also bemusement at Mr Blair's determination to do Washington's bidding. "Why didn't we have a joint European approach to the UN all along?" asked one French official.

Whatever happens over Iraq, the scars of the battle between London and Paris will take a long time to heal. A prolonged period of froideur could change the new blueprint for the European Union that emerges from the convention chaired by Valery Giscard d'Estaing, the former French President.

France has more in common with Britain than with Germany, which favours a more federal approach. But it may now be much harder for London to make tactical alliances with Paris, which will be keen to boost the power of the recently-revived Franco-German engine. "Iraq is going to make the convention very difficult for us," one British Government source admitted. The dispute over Iraq could also spill over to other issues, including reform of the Common Agricultural Policy and plans to enhance defence co-operation inside the EU.

Mr Blair and President Chirac are due to come face-to-face when EU leaders hold a summit in Brussels next Thursday. The meeting was called to discuss economic reform in Europe but it will now be overshadowed by the deep divisions caused by the Iraq crisis.

Denis MacShane, Minister for Europe, said yesterday that former Iron Curtain countries due to join the EU next year were worried about being frozen out by France and Germany because they backed military action in Iraq.

"When the Iraq crisis is over, the United States and the European Union will still be there. We cannot allow anti-Americanism in some European capitals to contaminate the construction of the European Union and its enlargement," said Mr MacShane.

He added: "I accept sadly that Europe cannot speak with one voice on Iraq. But we should not let that disunity turn into permanent division."

Anglo-French ups and downs

1963: President Charles de Gaulle vetoes British membership of the Common Market

1982: France actively prevents war materials from reaching Argentina during the Falklands War

1986: President Jacques Chirac accuses Margaret Thatcher of "wanting my balls" when she angrily holds out for a British budget rebate at a European summit

1993: Channel Tunnel, linking Kent and Pas de Calais, opens.

1998: Britain and France launch initiative for European defence policy at St Malo.

1999: France refuses to lift ban on UK beef, abandoned by the rest of EU.

2002: President Jacques Chirac calls Tony Blair "badly brought-up" after spat at Brussels summit.