German Chancellor Gerhard Schröder on Sunday warned that the eastward expansion of the European Union could not be allow to fail. Speaking at conference of his Social Democratic Party in the Ruhr Valley town of Bochum, Schröder said despite several last minute hurdles the EU expansion was “a great historical chance.” He also defended the tight Franco-German cooperation within the EU, saying the partnership was not “exclusive” and was “the only possibility” for pushing Europe forward. A total of ten countries are scheduled to join the EU next May.