Several speakers at a convention of the European People's Party that was taking place in Rome on Thursday and Friday, including Croatian Prime Minister Ivo Sanader, spoke about plans to restrict EU enlargement.
Sarkozy, who received strong support at the convention for his aspirations to become the next French president, said Europe needed answers to some crucial political questions before it could offer a solution to the crisis it was facing.
"We have to ask ourselves - should Europe have borders? The answer is - yes, it should," Sarkozy said.
"The other question is 'What is privileged partnership?' and what exactly can be offered to counties aspiring to join the EU," he said.
Some European leaders have offered privileged partnership as a potential form of integration for countries like Turkey and Ukraine that would bring them closer to the EU, but they would not be granted full membership.
Austrian Chancellor Wolfgang Schuessel said in his speech that the EU had to fulfil its obligations towards the Balkans and its promise to launch entry negotiations with Turkey, but he also stressed that Europe could not expand without limits.
German Chancellor Angela Merkel did not want to comment on the future EU enlargement, although she
said in her previous statements that privileged partnership could be an option for some western Balkan countries.
In her speech at the Rome convention Merkel stressed that there was a connection between the enlargement policy and the institutional reforms it required.