''It is evident that Europe, now more than ever, must strengthen its unity and dynamism when faced with this great world power,'' Chirac said at a European Union summit meeting here. ''More than ever we must reinforce Europe politically and economically.'' The proposed European Constitution would bolster the Union, he said.

The summit meeting was the first test of Europe's willingness to forget differences and embrace the United States after the re-election of President Bush.

It was also a test of a new resolve among European Union countries to unite and solve the crises in Iraq and elsewhere in the Middle East. Prime Minister Tony Blair of Britain urged European leaders to face up to the ''new reality'' of Bush's re-election and ''move on.''

''There's a new reality, so let's work with that reality,'' Blair said. People were in ''a state of denial'' about the re-election, he said earlier in a newspaper interview, but Europe needed to work with America to solve the problems in Iraq.

These comments set an uneasy tone to the atmosphere, which was soured on Thursday by Iraq's interim prime minister, Iyad Allawi, who urged ''spectators'' of the war to become involved in the rebuilding of his country. That was a reference to Germany and France, which had refused to participate in the war.

Allawi's comment angered France, and Chirac left Brussels early Friday without meeting the Iraqi leader, in what appeared to be a snub. But Chirac rejected that characterization and said that he had invited Allawi to Paris and that the prime minister had accepted.

Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder of Germany called Allawi's remark a ''slip of the tongue'' and he appeared to strike a more upbeat note, declaring that ''Europe wants to, and must, play a role in finding a solution'' in Iraq.

On the relationship with Bush, Schroeder said he had had an hourlong telephone conversation with the president after the election results were clear. ''Now it's time to look forward,'' Schroeder said. ''The relationship can be built successfully.''

However, the more optimistic note masked strains within the European Union. The leaders failed to produce any substantial offer of help in Iraq or to give impetus to the Middle East peace process, beyond a small package to assist Iraqi elections next January.

The Dutch prime minister, Jan Peter Balkenende, the current president of the European Union council, called on Bush to find consensus with Europe.

''I really hope that after the election of President Bush - and we all congratulate him on that - that he will invest in good relations with the European countries,'' Balkenende said.

In their meeting's conclusions, the 25 European Union leaders said that the United States and Europe needed ''to combine efforts, including in multilateral institutions, to promote the rule of law and create a just, democratic and secure world.''

In an effort to win over European Union governments, Allawi on Friday played down his critical remark.

''What I said is that history is history, past is past. We need to start operations to start a new chapter and look to the future,'' he said. ''To those countries which were not able to support the original conflict, I offer you my government's respect, and the hope that we can now turn the page and work together.''

He added: ''There are differences of views among European countries. We want to look forward and not look back.''