The countries of Central and Eastern Europe (see the discussion: Is there something like CEE?) in the European Union will have a separate co-ordination meeting ahead of the EU summit on 1 March.
They are afraid to ignored in the possible EU rescue plan, and will try to form a common front against the old and rich(er) EU member states.
I am not sure whether this is a good sign.
It hints to the fact that behind the scenes there is not much unity, that in the administrative and diplomatic levels of the Council member states are bargaining. It is a bad sign, because it means that a unified approach to the financial crisis will not be the result of shared interests but of political games.
It is a bad sign, and I hope it will not get too ugly.
Read also (21 February 2009): Barroso will join the CEE meeting
Moskaus (letzte?) Warnung an Washington
17 hours ago
2 comments:
I think that the fraction of the new member state have been overlooked in Western Europe in a great deal. The new member states have to cut bilateral deals with the USA on visa issues, they get financial assistance
only in Washington, they trust only their American and fellow Central European military allies, Germany and Russia tries to lock them out from the energy market. I think the old member states either address the problem on a political level or the EU might be paralyzed for many years with a Western and Eastern bloc that will conflict on all issues. Given the EU institutions such conflicts will resolve in deadlocked vetoes.
I don't deny these facts. Actually, this pre-Summit is a sign that these things still are not changing, that the CEE EU members still feel that they need to co-ordinate separately because the "old" members (could) ignore their positions.
So this pre-Summit is a symptom of a problem, and we have to cure the illness itself.
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