June 18, 2005
IT'S ALWAYS NAPOLEON VS WELLINGTON:
Europe divided by two opposing philosophies (Honor Mahony, 18.06.2005, EUOBSERVER)
Following a bitter and failed summit on the future funding of the EU, veteran politician and current head of the EU Jean-Claude Juncker has concluded that Europe is divided into two opposing camps - a free trade camp and a political Europe camp.Sounding an extremely pessimistic note after a meeting of EU leaders that left the constitution's future uncertain and no agreement on money, Mr Juncker said that some member states want a free trade Europe and nothing else while others want a "politically integrated Europe".
He added that only political integration would allow Europe to overcome the challenges facing it.
Speaking of the "two philosophies" Mr Juncker said "I knew the time would come when all of this would come out". [...]
[T]he opposing philosophies have been simmering for the last months - particularly in the run up to the French referendum on the constitution.
A large part of the reason that the French voted No was fears of a free-market Anglo-Saxon model of Europe, which they felt would cost jobs and social security.
Months? Try centuries. Posted by orrinj at June 18, 2005 7:43 AM
By definition, a liberal is one who can hold opposite and opposing opinions at the same time, so what's the problem?
And then there's the French voters, who want neither free trade nor political integration.
Posted by: pj at June 18, 2005 10:34 AMThe French are in for a rude shock. They've been irrelevant since the second world war and one of these mornings they will wake up to that unpleasant reality. What they do then is the question. I hope they can save themselves because my beautiful granddaughter lives in Montpellier, a city that makes Bridgeport (CT) look good.
Posted by: erp at June 18, 2005 4:56 PM