The
EU Council meeting has just ended in Brussels. The atmosphere in the room was
not good. There was more suspicion and rivalry around the table than
willingness to address the key challenges. Some were just looking in the
direction of Cameron and asking themselves why is it the UK has been accepted
as a member? I am sure that one or two even recalled in their minds old man De
Gaulle and is opposition to Britain´s membership, and might have thought he was
a politician of vision. Others might
have looked in Samaras direction and wondered about Greece´s presence in the
club. The same they thought could be said about Cyprus, Romania, Bulgaria, Portugal
and some other countries. Then, there was Angela Merkel. I get the impression
the leaders were just trying to spot any change in her posture and opinions,
now that she has consolidated once again her authority within German politics.
And
there were Van Rompuy and Barroso out there. They might have looked to some of
the stronger and harsher leaders as two phantoms that are just dragging their
feet in the EU corridors, as ghosts that wait for the village priest to come
and exorcise them from the place. They are experiencing a painful end of term and
everybody knows that. But they are not alone in their predicament. Baroness
Ashton keeps them the company she can.
This
is indeed a time of morose for the European leaders. Europe as a project is at
standstill. 2014 will be a year without collective ambitions. Each country will
try to keep afloat. And each leader will be just confined and paying attention to
the domestic fires. The EU elections in May next year will come and go without capturing
people´s attention.
We
will see.
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