France's Sarkozy says much of British criticism of EU justified

Nicolas Sarkozy, head of France's Les Republicains political party and former French President attends a meeting in Marseille, France, April 27, 2016. REUTERS/Jean-Paul Pelissier

PARIS (Reuters) - Former French president Nicolas Sarkozy said on Tuesday many of the faults Britain finds in the European Union are justified and the bloc will need a new treaty regardless of whether Britons vote next month to leave the EU or not.

"On much of their criticism, the British are right," Sarkozy told Le Monde in an interview. "The peoples' estrangement from Europe is a major worry for all countries," he said, while underlining that he strongly opposed Britain quitting the EU.