A CONFORMPROMISE:

EU stumbles at key moment (Graham Bowley, March 22, 2005, International Herald Tribune)

Europe's leaders face a crucial decision Tuesday when they consider whether to endorse plans to weaken the fiscal rules that underpin the euro and to start economic initiatives, all of which appear to be undermining public support for the European Union.

On Monday, the European Central Bank bluntly criticized plans, expected to be approved by leaders at a meeting in Brussels, that would give EU countries greater freedom to run up larger budget deficits.

The plans, tentatively agreed to late Sunday, were hailed as a "remarkable compromise" by José Manuel Barroso, president of the European Commission.

But the changes largely conformed to insistent demands by big countries, principally Germany and France, to ease controls on their spending. Germany and France broke the Stability and Growth Pact's rules but refused to face the sanctions imposed by it.

Isn't that the point of the EU, that a compromise is whatever the Franco-Germans say it is?

Posted by Orrin Judd at March 21, 2005 11:23 PM