European Council Act Two: Pangloss meets Candide

This was the outcome of Act One.

The latest European Council conclusions are available in all 23 official EU languages.

The conclusions in English:

Conclusions of the European Council (4 February 2011) (document EUCO 2/11; 15 pages)


Act Two

Whereas the real decision makers tend to hide their differences by saying nothing or by fuzzy language, the second act is played out in public, for the enlightenment and entertainment of the spectators.

According to Article 15(6) TEU, the president of the European Council shall present a report to the European Parliament after each meeting. With a few days for the president to sort out the impressions, here is what the MEPs were served regarding Egypt and the Euro-Mediterranean region, energy, innovation and improving economic governance (financial stability in theEurozone):

Speech by Herman VAN ROMPUY President of the European Council at the European Parliament; 8 February 2011 (3 pages)

The press service of the European Parliament offers a summary of the discussion as a whole, with leaders appearing according to group size: MEPs question President Herman Van Rompuy on the outcome of the EU summit (8 February 2011).

EUbusiness tells us that the plans of France andGermany for the Euro area discipline have not received universal acclaim: Euro-MPs slam Franco-German eurozone 'pact' (8 February 2011).

Valentina Pop of EUobserver writes in the same vein: MEPs vent fury at Van Rompuy over Franco-German economic plan (8 February 2011).


Dichotomy

The official information oscillates between good news and nothing to report (Pangloss), whereas MEPs and media are drawn towards what is brewing behind the scenes (Candide).

If the German and French governments have plans for stricter fiscal discipline in the Eurozone, they seem to have earned their share of criticism for failing to inform other member states, europarliamentarians and EU citizens in a timely and open manner.



Ralf Grahn



P.S. Greek debt and the ”grand bargain” is the latest post on the Brusselsblog (Financial Times), one of the ”must read” blogs in the Euroblogosphere.

P.S. 2: On my Euroblogs I want to discuss legal and political issues relevant to European enterprises, jobs, employers and employees, consumers and citizens, especially in cross-border situations. Details of internal market reform (Single Market Act) and the Europe 2020 strategy (EU2020 flagship initiatives) are going to be among the recurring themes. Hopefully my blogs succeed in educating and guiding readers towards relevant sources. For me the blogs offer disciplined study as basic training for my teaching and legal counseling activities. My blogs are: upstream Grahnlaw (in English), Grahnblawg (in Swedish) and Eurooppaoikeus (in Finnish), as well as usually downstream the trilingual Grahnlaw Suomi Finland. If you are interested in European business, politics or law, we can get acquainted through Twitter @RalfGrahn or Facebook.