Nicolas Sarkozy, the president of France's ruling UMP party, yesterday proposed a possible way out of Europe's institutional impasse, suggesting that the controversial constitutional treaty could be slimmed down to its functional core and approved by the French parliament.

Mr Sarkozy, who is strongly placed to contest the 2007 presidential elections, said a group of experts could tour Europe's capitals to consult with governments, parliaments, political parties and representatives of civil society to pare down the original treaty to a simple document focusing solely on how the expanded 25-member European Union should function.