France inherited the presidency of the European Union on Tuesday for the next six months with a packet of problems on the table.

In some ways, France, and its relatively new president, Nicolas Sarkozy, are well-positioned to lead the EU now. Mr. Sarkozy seems to have gotten past his initial problems in taking the reins in his country, which involved difficulty in fulfilling some of his campaign promises and early manifestations of his oversized ego. The disappointment of the French also was fed by his quick divorce of his previous wife, Cecilia, and quick remarriage to his third wife, Italian songwriter, singer and model Carla Bruni.

But Ms. Bruni has settled in well, looking increasingly appropriate as the first lady of France. Mr. Sarkozy is also looking better. He has adjusted to the delusions of grandeur that initially afflicted him and seems now to have hit his stride, domestically and internationally.

Mr. Sarkozy has set out a big agenda for his EU presidency, including agreement on agricultural reform, climate change policy and a coordinated approach to immigration.

The problems of the EU now are significant. The 27-nation organization seemed well on its way to adapting the reforms necessary to make it run more efficiently, set out in the Treaty of Lisbon. Countries' parliaments were ratifying it -- the number of those who have now stands at 19 -- when, last month, the treaty process, which requires unanimity, hit a wall. Irish voters, the only ones asked for their opinion in a referendum, rejected it.

The Irish apparently did so for two reasons. First, their own government had not taken the trouble to present it to them in a comprehensive and convincing fashion. Prime Minister Brian Cowen confessed that even he had not read all of it. Second, a majority of Irish voters couldn't see what was in the treaty for them, ignoring the tremendous economic progress that Ireland has made with EU aid since it joined in 1973. Polish President Lech Kaczynski has now made matters worse by expressing reluctance to sign the treaty, even though his country's parliament ratified it in April.

Mr. Sarkozy thus inherits leadership of the EU with strong support at home and ambitious goals for his time as head of the organization, but with serious obstacles lying ahead. He faces a major challenge, to say the least.