EU summit a failure after talks break down

[Asmodean]

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A61824-2003Dec13.html

http://www.cnn.com/2003/WORLD/europe/12/13/eu.summit/index.html

EU diplomats are trying hard to make believe that this is no major setback, but the fact that the talks have broken down as a result of a new member state demanding equal rights with France and Germany is hard to swallow for some of the old member states.

I say: If the Poles want to play hardball, then so can we. We don't need them even half as much as they need us. Let them taste that, I say

Asmodean

[alva]

One word:

Berlusconi

That man really shouldn't do things like this, being president I mean.

[Bereta_Eder]

There was agreement about defense though.

[Asmodean]

Well it's bad enough that he's a TV Tycoon. The other media in Italy don't get half as many chances as his network does.

Still...not everything in this can be blamed on Berlusconi. It is quite unheard of that a new member state such as Poland behave in the way that they have

Asmodean

[alva]

I say: If the Poles want to play hardball, then so can we. We don't need them even half as much as they need us. Let them taste that, I say

They're not even a member and already they are scr*wing things up.

[Bereta_Eder]

It is however they were not alone.

[Gangerolf]

but seriously, yep it's all Berlusconi's fault

[Provost Harrison]

Poland is a sizeable country. But equal in clout to the likes of Britain, France or Germany? No...

[Bereta_Eder]

I still remember Poland being the only country IIRC raising objections when christianity didn't get included in the constitution.

[Gangerolf]

from what I understand, Spain is just as much to "blame" as Poland

[Bereta_Eder]

It would seem that the 2 speed EU will happen. But not in the old sense (one group in "prefered" mode, the other lagging behind) but 2 speed integration EU. With the countries that want to go ahead in more speedy integration doing so and the others remaining behind.

[Sandman]

It's probably for the best. The Constitution was not very good anyway.

[Bereta_Eder]

Hmm I don't know. I think I'll agree with the greek PM who said that the votes were the "pretense" and the different views about the future of the EU were the "cause" of why there wasn't an agreement.

[Monk]

And the process gets another one of those much-needed obstructions

Nice to see that others than Scandinavia and the British Isles are prepared to do the work.

[Combat Ingrid]

Originally posted by Monk
And the process gets another one of those much-needed obstructions

Nice to see that others than Scandinavia and the British Isles are prepared to do the work.

Seriously, if Poland keeps going with this "our way or no way" attitude, we should tell them go poop their pants