A few days in its mandate and the New Commission is already undermined by the deep rifts in the European society. Street protests in Brussels and labor union strikes in Germany and the coverup of the corporate tax fraud of historical magnitude and length in Luxembourg create a perfect storm. Some blood letting is needed to ease the pressure. What better target than Jean-Claude Junker? Given that he receives this sustained criticism from both the left and the right it appears almost a democratic request. Almost! In fact his departure would be only a ceremonial sacrifice with little meaning and no effect. What Europe needs is a fundamental dialogue and a rethinking of its moral underpinnings. We constantly bemoan economic competitiveness issues and the cost of the social state and never address issues like inequality, the need for immigration reform, fairness in taxation and burden sharing, or our role in regional peace and security. At the end of the day we are at the cusp of important decisions. These decisions will define the nature of United Europe in the decades to come. If these are to reflect our values, politicians and businesses but also citizens are going to be required some serious soul searching.
Posted on: Mon, 10 Nov 2014 09:58:42 +0000
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