LONDON, March 12, 2010 (AFP) - French President Nicolas Sarkozy showered praise on British Prime Minister Gordon Brown Friday weeks before a general election here, but rebuked Brown's main rival over his policy in Europe.
    After talks in London, Sarkozy described Brown as a "great reformer" and someone who was "willing to get things moving".
    The centre-right president said that although Brown was from the other side of the fence politically -- he leads the centre-left Labour Party -- they were always able to discuss issues frankly "even if we don't always agree".
    Sarkozy later Friday had a meeting with David Cameron, the leader of the centre-right Conservatives who would traditionally be seen as more 'natural' partners for Sarkozy's party.
    But speaking in a joint press conference with Brown, the French president criticised Cameron's decision to withdraw the Conservatives from the main centre-right grouping in the European Parliament.
    Cameron could become prime minister if the Conservatives win an election widely expected to take place on May 6, although opinion polls show their long-term comfortable lead over Labour has dwindled in recent weeks.
    Sarkozy insisted he had not come to Britain to "play politics" by visiting so close to the election.
    However, his insistence that Britain must be "right in the heart" of Europe appeared to be aimed at Cameron, who last year pulled the Conservatives out of the European People's Party (EPP) to align with a group of small parties.
    Sarkozy's party and that of German Chancellor Angela Merkel belong to the EPP.
    "If you want to me to say that I regret his (Cameron's) decision on the EPP, my answer is yes," Sarkozy said.
    Later, a spokeswoman for Cameron said the issue of the EPP was raised "in passing" during the meeting with Sarkozy, and Cameron had stressed his party wanted Britain to be an "active and energetic" partner in the EU.
    After his talks with Brown, Sarkozy also slammed the United States over changes to bidding rules for a tanker jet contract, saying it was "not the way" for Washington to treat its European allies.
    Brown added he too was "disappointed" at the way the rules had been altered to favour US aerospace giant Boeing, which is poised to win a 35 billion dollar (26 billion euro) deal to build aerial refueling planes for the US air force.
    "I admit that I did not appreciate this decision," said Sarkozy, adding: "I don't like protectionism.
    "These are methods which are not good for the partners of the United States, which is a great nation with which we are close, and friends," he said.
    Northrop and European partner EADS dropped their joint offer amid European allegations that the Pentagon altered bidding rules for the contract in order to favour Boeing's all-American offer over the European bid.
    Turning to efforts to avoid a repetition of the global economic crisis, the president said France, Britain and their European partners were seeking to find a "balance" on regulating hedge funds.
    Sarkozy said he remained convinced that the highly speculative funds "bore a heavy responsibility" for the crisis, and that they need to be regulated.
    Britain, the main European centre for hedge funds, is concerned that draft EU directives to introduce tighter regulation could throw up new barriers to business.
    Separately, Sarkozy snapped at a French journalist who asked about recent rumours concerning his private life, dismissing the speculation as "ravings" and saying he had no time to waste on them.
    "You must be unaware what a president of the republic's diary is like, but I don't have a second, or even half a second, to waste on these ravings," he said.
    "I wonder why you use your speaking time to ask such a question," he rebuked the journalist.